Beyond The Broken Scars
by December.LeNoir
Summary: 3 years ago Edward Cullen broke off all connections with Bella and left Forks with his entire family. Now Bella is at University, having banished the memories.But when an unexpected guest arrives at MIT she finds herself reunited with desire & desolation.
1. Chapter 1

Beyond The Broken Scars

Rated: M. You will see why later.

A/N

**DISCLAIMER: All the ********Twilight characters in this story belong to Stephanie Meyer. In the creation of this story no copyright infringement is intended. The plot lines, Original Characters, and details of _Beyond the Broken Scars_ belong to December Eclipse. Reposting or Plagiarism of this story in any fashion is classified as theft. No copying or reproduction of this story is permitted unless written authorization from the author is given. **

This story is an alternative version to New Moon/Eclipse.

**~Synopsis**

On a mid-September evening, Edward Cullen broke off his relationship with Bella and the entire Cullen family left Forks never to be seen again.

Many years have passed and now Bella Swan is a Psychology & English Literature undergraduate at MIT University. She has abandoned love and any sort of relationship, burying her self in her studies and a limited social life. But when an unexpected guest arrives at MIT during the fall, she finds herself reunited with The Cullens and embraces the dawning of a new threat on the horizon that could divide her and the Cullens for the last time.

**Chapter 1:** **The Guest**

**BPOV**

"And then he was gone," I said looking up slowly after a pause, the eyes of many around the class were upon me at this point and I couldn't help but feel somewhat subconscious.

"What do you think his motives were? In his actions, I mean," the English Literature lecturer asked.

"To redeem himself, to prove he was worthy of her. Mr. Darcy saw the whole situation had been of his own ignorance and pride. To make things right, he took responsibility for his actions."

"Yet Elizabeth Bennet saw it differently. You should note the fact that an entire family's reputation is put in disgrace by Lydia's actions. Austen creates a double aspect within the main character plots - Darcy wanting redemption and Elizabeth wanting reassurance. Both split between each other." Professor Rimsky paced around the lecture room, a copy of Pride and Prejudice in her hand.

"Yes, Ms. Hyde?" She said. looking over at the girl sitting next to me.

"It is Elizabeth who believed that she was being prejudiced by Darcy leaving, another elemental flip," the voice of my best and only friend Charlotte Hyde said thoughtfully.

"Exactly, very good Ms Hyde. Okay so browse over this and we'll discuss it in more detail next time along with the assignments" Rimsky said, moving back to the desk and beginning to collect her notes.

The students hurriedly moved out of their seats, collecting their materials and scattering out of class. I folded my notes back into my messenger bag before following the rest out of class. Charlotte Hyde gave me a quick tap as we walked out across the hall and into the grounds, catching the last remains of the day before the next lecture.

As I looked around the MIT campus I felt sense of peace come over me. I loved it here, the difference and diversity it possessed. It was a refreshing change from my life in Forks. I lived a completely normal -supernatural creature free- life here, studying as best I could in Psychology and English Literature, having an occasional part time job in a bookstore and planning ahead for the future. After I had completed my final year I would go to graduate school and hopefully get to fulfil my desire of getting a PhD in Psychology. Ever since I had been introduced to the subject back when I was eighteen I had been fascinated by it more than any other field. And I was determined to devote my career to the subject, hopefully gaining a teaching post at the University and teach in the subject.

Everything so far in my life had been relatively normal, except for one slight problem that was going around on campus. For MIT had had its share of incidence over the last few months. There had been many students and other residences around the area had gone missing without a trace. I tried not to think about it much.

The whole thing had an almost unnatural aura about it, the suddenness of the abductions, the lack of suspects and evidence towards the cases. I had avoided all interest and cast out any thoughts of vampire attacks from my mind, despite the many signs being there. For the past two and a half years I had been living with the burden of Victoria and Laurent. Two nomads who had been after me since I had left Forks. But they had never manged to succeed in finding me...yet.

The whole aspect of the mysterious disappearences had left an excited buzz all around the University that was increasing as the days went by. And today was no different except for one exception. The Psychology department had employed a new lecturer to teach class and the whole aspect of it was causing quite a stir.

"Who do you think the reserve lecturer is for psychology class?" Charlotte asked, pulling out two bottles of water and handing one to me. My trail of thoughts were broken and I quickly adjusted myself.

"Oh, thanks," I said taking the water. "To be honest I have no idea who it is. They haven't even mentioned his name in our handouts or notes."

Charlotte took a long sip and nodded, "Could be a famous one?"

"Please, MIT would have bragged about that like nobody's business. Remember when that journalist for the New York Times gave a talk about the conflict in the Middle East? We weren't even studying international relations when that was hyped up," I said with a smirk.

"I suppose. When are we due in class by the way?" Charlotte asked looking around the campus as though expecting to see some brilliant psychology scholar walking around. "I left my timetable in the dorm."

"15 minutes," I said absently looking up at the dull gray sky. The distracting and hectic environment had the added bonus of being with like-minded people; my roommate Charlotte had grown to be almost like a sister to me, much in the same way as Alice Cullen had been.

_Stop thinking about them._

I shook my head slightly, attempting to cast the memory away.

"I reckon we should get there early, to get good seats," Charlotte said, looking at a small crowd of students heading into the Psychology hall.

"It's not a famous person, Charlotte." I said raising the bottle to my lips and taking another sip.

"I just want to see the board properly, that's all, since you need binoculars to read Professor Stewart's minute handwriting, even when you are at the front."

"A better excuse would be that we're getting close to finals and you want to get as much information as possible," I said, sighing.

"Yeah that works too, come on." Charlotte grabbed my arm and we began half running down the pathway to the lecture room. It seemed that she wasn't the only one excited about the prospect of a new lecturer.

It was almost full when we got in, and as I looked around at the other students all whispering excitedly, I couldn't help but grin to myself.

_Charlotte __isn't the only one then._

"The new Professor seems to be one of those uber rich ones and did you see the car, a Mercedes Benz S55 AMG," a sandy haired guy said loudly to his neighbor.

I frowned slightly as I sat down in one of the main front seats. Charlotte was already organizing her notebook and pens in an almost overzealous manner.

"Have you been spreading rumors about the new guy? Everyone seems to be talking about him," I asked, bemused.

"I have better things to do than gossip about mystery lecturers." she replied tucking a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. "But you have to admit that it is very odd for everyone to be talking about him."

"How do we know it is a him, it could be a her." I said folding my arms and leaning back in my chair. A short dirty blond haired girl I knew vaguely to be called Sophie snorted with laughter and shook her head as she sat down on my other side. "Oh its a guy," she said smugly and I couldn't help but be reminded slightly of Jessica Stanley. "Me and my sister saw _him_ in the reception hall, looks more like a model than a teacher." She sighed and gazed out into space. "Hopefully he isnt a total bore like the last one."

I nodded and gave an unconvincing smile before turning to look down at my folder and scan over my notes. My mind toyed over with what I had just heard and I couldnt help but feel slightly nervous. There was something oddly familiar about the whole thing. But i barely had a chance to think about it much. The grey walled room's lighting dimmed slightly and a tall figure dressed in a fitted white shirt and black pants emerged from the side doorway. Charlotte nudged me hard in the ribs and whispered into my ear over the muttering students.

"Please tell me that's him."

"Ouch, calm down it's only a-" I gazed up and squinted slightly to catch a better glimpse, even with his back to us it was obvious that he well-toned and possessed an athletic masculine figure. A sense of familiarity came over me unexpectedly as I cast my eyes over the neatly swept back blonde hair.

_No. It couldn't be._

"I think I know him," I said hurriedly taking a swig of water. My heart rate had escalated suddenly and a horrible thought came over me.

"I wouldn't mind knowing him," Charlotte said, grinning. "He's gorgeous."

"Charlotte, he's our professor," I whispered disapprovingly, although I had to give it to her though. The lecturer was definitely attractive, almost unnaturally attractive.

"Good Afternoon, I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen." The figure turned, smiling, his bone white skin glowing somewhat in the florescent light.

I felt the water bottle slip out of my hand and landed with an echoing thud on the floor. All eyes fell upon me including the golden eyes of Doctor Cullen, his lips twitching slightly as though restraining a smile.

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

**Beyond The Broken Scars**

Hello everyone, just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed the first chapter, I'm very grateful to you all.

Let me know what you think of Chapter 2 :).

**EDITED 03/03/2010**

**Chapter 2 **

**The Business of The Problematique**

I couldn't find the will to look away; I merely stared at his familiar, flawless face and felt the blood rush into my cheeks. And then, suddenly realizing that I hadn't taken my eyes off him for a good ten minutes, I hurriedly looked away.

_Breathe, breathe._

I thought to myself fixing my eyes on the neatly scrawled notes on the board. The lesson was in full session, and Carlisle was giving a detailed dialogue on cognitive development, something I was fascinated in. All the effort I had spent on forgetting the Cullens was now wasting away. A part of me wanted to make a run for the door, but I found myself engrossed in Carlisle's velvet voice – the pitch noticeably different than that of human tone. Charlotte nudged me frequently to remind me to take notes, I scribbled brief accounts.

"Development usually begins at infancy and onwards from adolescents in an advanced fashion," Carlisle said as he cast his eyes across the hall and I ducked my eyes focusing hard upon my writing page.

"We start from baby which is basically stage one and move up the levels as we grow to adulthood, gaining abilities to read a book, write a poem and argue logically about not wanting any fuss on their birthday." He smiled as he glanced at me briefly before turning toward the board. He began listing a bunch of stage developments.

All too soon, it was over and even though the class had overrun to an hour and twenty minutes, I was eager to hear more. My fascination was growing more and more, he knew so much it seemed impossible. I had always thought of Carlisle as a medical doctor and that was it.

"That was one of the best 80 minutes I've had in a long time," Charlotte muttered as I hurriedly packed up my bag. I was eager to get back to my dorm before Carlisle came anywhere near me. I wasn't ready for a conversion just yet.

"It was interesting," I responded pushing past some students who had hung back to talk. I reached out for the door when a voice called my name.

"Miss Swan, could I have a quick word please." Charlotte stopped dead behind me and cast a curious gaze at Carlisle then back at me. I felt like muttering an excuse and running out the door but my feet were glued to the spot.

_Better face reality now._

"Yes of course. I'll catch you up in a few minutes," I said to Charlotte, keeping my expression neutral.

Charlotte nodded and gave us both another look before departing out with the rest. Within a few minutes, we were completely alone in the room.

"I probably should have given you some warning about my coming here." Carlisle started closing the door behind the last student; I leaned against the back of a chair trying folding my arms

"A warning would have been nice," I said coolly. "But how did you know I was here?"

Carlisle looked at the floor briefly a slightly sheepish expression on his face, "Alice. She's been keeping an eye on you these past years."

I raised my eyebrows. "Why?

"We do care about you Bella, and even if we left – it was never completely. You're apart of us Bella and we aim to protect our family members even if we are separated." He smiled slightly, keeping his eyes on me now.

_And avoid all contact with me for two and a half years._

"What exactly do I need protecting from?" I asked slightly confused.

"We all need protecting Bella, especially in _this _world."

The sky was darkening outside through the window; we stood in silence for a moment. I was about to press on the matter of the need for _my apparent protection_ when he hastily walked to his desk and began scribing on a sheet of paper. Carlisle did it so fast I had to double take on what had happened.

"Here's how you can reach us," he said taking my hand in his smooth cold fingers and handing me to letter. A familiar shudder rushed down my spine and I looked into his concerned gold eyes.

"Why are you doing this, I'm not your concern Carlisle – not anymore." I threw the note on a desk and walked to the door.

"This isn't for Edward's benefit Bella, he doesn't know you're here." He was in front of the door now. "Just take it, please." His eyes locked upon mine and I felt the breathe catch in my chest. His face was so sincere that I could feel my determination fade away into nothingness.

I sighted and took the paper stuffing it into my pocket. "Are the others here too?" I asked, changing to subject.

"We are. Jasper had to restrain Alice from bearing down on you so soon. She has missed you a lot, be prepared Bella. Alice is planning on a visit tomorrow. If she can tear away from her project of redesigning our new house."

"Esme must be having fun with that project." I had known Carlisle's wife to be an excellent designer having styled the Cullen's previous house in Forks.

"I can imagine she _would_ have had a lot of fun with that," he said in a small voice.

"Would have?" I asked confused.

"Esme was killed in a accident almost a year ago."

_Since when did vampires die from "accidents?"_

I looked at Carlisle, his face had become somber; I recognized it as the reflection of my own face during the time Edward had left me. I averted my gaze to the floor, not wanting the memories to resurface.

"I'm so sorry Carlisle, how did she --?"

"It's a long story," he said, sighing slightly and looking at his watch. "I wont keep you any longer. Alice will probably visit you tomorrow if that's okay?"

I nodded, there were a dozen questions engulfing my mind, and despite my urge to press on them further, the atmosphere had grown cold and reserved. All I wanted was to get back to my dorm, before my curiosity got the better of me.

"I guess I'll see you Monday," I said hitching my bag on my shoulder and edging to the door, it opened with a creak and a gust of cold winter rushed past me.

Carlisle looked up and gave a worn smiled and nodded. "If you need anything Bella, you know where to find us."

"See you." I exited with the door shutting behind me. The grounds were almost totally dark now and lamps flickered on providing light upon the pathway. I hurried back to my dorm, knowing Charlotte would be curious. I had to figure out a good excuse for this one. Over the years, I had maintained my silence on the subject of the Cullens, forbidding myself to even remember them. As I walked pasted the low hanging trees to the red bricked building separated from the rest of the University, I scanned my eyes across the paper, and in neat handwriting was a home phone number, several cell phone numbers and a house address.

I stopped dead and looked back at the psychology building in the distance; a feeling of foreboding came over me as I realized there was more to this reunion than Carlisle was letting on. The sharp siren of a police car in the distance made me jump suddenly and I almost dropped the note.

_Calm down Bella, it's probably nothing._ I muttered to myself quickening my pace once more, ignoring the low rustling of the leaves in the breeze, and continued along the path, unaware of the eyes that followed my footsteps.

~To Be Continued


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everyone! Firstly I want to say thank you for all the reviews, I really appreciate your comments as they help me in writing in fic.**

**Secondly this chapter is alot longer than my other two and I hope you all like it, it's basing on Bella and Alice's reignited friendship and adding some back story and depth into the main plot.**

**Reviews/Comments are highly appreciated.**

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**_EDITED 03/03/2010_**

**_Chapter 3_**

**Reunion**

I spent half of Saturday in my dormitory occupying myself with assignments. Charlotte was working weekends at a local bookstore and had taken off early, and a part of me was glad for it; even though she had become one of my closest friends I wasn't keen on her meeting the Cullens just yet. I had done my best to avoid rising any suspicion about myself and Carlisle during the previous evening when Charlotte had interrogated me about what had happened.

_"You know him don't you?"_

_"Well yes," I said cautiously. "Back when I was living in Forks. He was my doctor."_

_"He's a medical doctor as well?" Charlotte let out a sigh and gazed misty eyed at the window. "But he looks like he's about twenty."_

_I said nothing and busied myself by changing into my pajamas._

_"Is he married?"_

_"Charlotte how is that important?" I asked, throwing my clothes aside into the closet before walking over to the dresser to brush my hair._

_"I'm just curious that's all," she replied with a small smile on her lips. "So what did he want to talk to you about?"_

_I paused for a moment thinking of what to say next. It was difficult because I wasn't any good at lying . "He just wanted to catch up, nothing very interesting Charlotte so just drop it, please."_

_But Charlotte had continued questioning me well into the night. It was only when I pretended to drift off did she finally stop._

My concentration levels were excessively low today, although it might be because in a few hours time I would be meeting Alice. Out of most of the vampires I had met, Alice was the most talented, her ability to foresee decisions and outcomes of other people, particularly those she was close to. It had come in handy all those years ago when James was tracking me. I shuddered slightly at the memory.

Around the campus, a lingering feeling of unease students went out in groups and hardly any were seen after dark. Only last night a third student had gone missing and the police were running checks on anyone going in and out of the grounds.

I headed down to a French café during lunch, at this point even studying could not take my mind of the Cullens. The sky was covered in graying clouds and a wintry wind half blew the door of the café off as I entered and looking around I noticed a familiar figure standing in the far corner leaning against the back of a chair. Her petite figure concealed in purple and black top with dark jeans and a matching waist length jacket. Even when she dressed casual, Alice Cullen still looked like she had come off the runway at Vogue.

I took a breath and walked over watching her rose lips curve into a satisfied smile.

"You're just in time," she said in her bell chime voice before wrapping her arms around me in a hug.

"Nice to see you too Alice," I said breaking into a grin. Alice was here, hugging me again. This was surreal.

We sat cross from the table just as a waiter came and placed two foaming lattes on the table.

_Typical, always a step ahead of me, even if she _hasn't _seen me in years._

"You drink coffee now?"

"It helps to blend in," Alice said winking. "I got you a decaf seeing as you drink way too much of the regular stuff."

"Being a student is stressful sometimes."

"Have you considered trying green tea?"

_Oh great. Now I am getting health tips from a dead person._

"Are we seriously having this discussion Alice?"

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. So tell me, how's university life treating you?"

"Okay so far..."

"...until Carlisle turned up and freaked you out," Alice said, finishing my sentence.

"Well it isn't everyday you see a vampire teaching psychology," I said, smiling and taking a long sip.

_A distractingly beautiful one at that._

"...or practicing medicine for that matter," Alice muttered running a hand through her hair.

I nodded glancing around at the crowds filling up the café; nobody seemed to notice the company I was keeping.

"Why are you here?" I asked slowly staring her face.

Alice looked sheepish and bit her lip remaining silent, her golden eyes darkened slightly.

"Your family hasn't contacted me in almost three years, and all of a sudden you appear without any explanation. Don't I have a right to know?"

"It's complicated," Alice said finally. "Many things have changed and it is going to take a while to explain it all."

"Judging by my life so far I think I've had my fair share of complications."

"Alright, basically I've been seeing some things, not concrete or anything, but it seems that our kind are having more of an influence than we should..."

"Like the disappearances around campus and other areas?"

"Maybe. Whoever is doing this is not your regular out of control vampire, definitely has something else in mind, but I just cant see it."

"Can't the Volturi be informed or something?" Edward had once told me of the Volturi being the _"Royalty of the vampire race monitoring the secrecy between the human and vampire world."_

Alice tensed suddenly and glared down at the table clenching her teeth as though she was restraining herself and the chair was shaking beneath her.

"Something wrong?"

"The Volturi cannot be involved in this one,if they know what's good for them," She added stirring her Latte absentmindedly.

"Why do I get the feeling there's something you're not telling me?" I asked watching her closely.

"Carlisle didn't tell you about Esme did he?"

"Well he said she was in an accident..." I began.

"She was, well sort of. Basically she broke the golden rule within our realm."

I leaned in closer making sure we were out of earshot; I had a brief recollection of Esme, quiet and steady. She had never been the type to rebel.

"What happened?"

"While we were in Switzerland hunting around the mountains we came across another vampire, one whose existence is like a total damnation to the Volturi."

I wracked my brains but came up with nothing. "What was it?"

"An immortal child, roughly eight or ten years old I think. Immortal children are uncontrollable and the biggest threat to the secrecy of our species, the thing had been abandoned no doubt, but you know Esme's weakness."

I nodded guessing what must have happened.

"So what? You adopted it?"

"Esme wouldn't let him go and none of us wanted to, you know, destroy him. It was a dead end as far as morality goes."

"Couldn't you try and tame the child? I mean, you guys all managed to keep up the diet."

"Esme tried, she spent so much time with the little thing training him, and after some months progress was being achieved, but while we were traveling to Austria with Edward." She gave me an apologetic look at the mention of the name.

"It's fine, please go on."

"Demetri and a few others spotted us, and the child. There was confrontation as you can imagine and despite Carlisle's best efforts the Volturi don't negotiate under such circumstance."

"So they were going to execute all of you?"

"They wanted to but since we didn't create the thing – our association didn't provide enough weight to it. Anyway during the cross fire Esme was destroyed while protecting the child." Alice looked down at the floor and if she could have, tears would have been pouring out of her eyes.

Shock lingered around us as we sat in silence, the memory of Carlisle's broken expression fresh in my mind. I placed my hand in Alice's stone cold palm and squeezed it gently. To the Cullens Esme was more than a wife or a mother, she was a source of serenity and stability, Carlisle's second self and a guide for Alice and Rosalie.

"I'm so sorry Alice," I said in a low whisper; the background noise seemed to grow louder and somewhat irritating.

"Edward didn't take it so well, particularly with his ability to read thoughts. Apparently Demetri was dying to finish us all off, well except me." Alice smirked in disgust, her brown curls swaying across her face.

I felt a sudden shiver spread down my spine at the thought of a red eyed vampire harming Alice. "He didn't though." I was half afraid to ask why the temptation had been resisted.

"No, Aro would hate to see Carlisle destroyed even if it meant sacrificing the rest of us. And If you're wondering why Edward is not here with us," Alice said in a low voice getting up slowly with a pointed expression on her face. "I suggest you let me tell you outside."

"Why?" I asked

"There is a risk that we could be overheard." And she took my hand and led me out.

I followed her footsteps ignoring the prominent stares around the café and exited into the gentle drizzle that welcomed us in the outside world. The cold air seemed to awaken me from a trance; Alice tugged out a large umbrella and held it over the both of us as we walked down the street.

"So where is Edward?"

"He went with the Volturi after Esme's death to have a word with Aro. We told him it was pointless but you know how stubborn he is."

I nodded, a sigh escaping my lips in distaste.

"What was he trying to achieve exactly?"

"From what I gather there was more to the Volturi turning up then meets the eye, I mean perhaps they didn't just visit us because of the immortal child. Maybe it was because of something else. I've been watching Aro and his clan for a while now, something is up, and I think Edward knows. It is the only theory we have for him not returning to us after he left Italy."

"He didn't come back?"

"No, not for year now. Although he does keep in contact with us regularly via phone calls and emails, but otherwise..." We had reached the outside entrance to the university, the lights of several police cars reflected off the windows. Alice sighed as though she had seen this coming. This made me glance at her expectantly.

"It was wrong for us to abandon you Bella; I have never forgiven Edward for what he did to you. We all behaved the foolishly, once a human a part of this world you can't just walk away from it." Alice said moving her hand through her curls.

"You did what you thought was best."

"No we didn't, Edward did. And it was the most stupidest thing he has ever done and now we're in this mess."

I stared once more at the police lights; groups of students were wondering around talking in loud whispers and frantically using their cell phones. Something was up, and I was willing to bet my entire life savings that the source was anything but human.

"Do you know what's going on here?" I asked as she brought her gaze to meet mine.

"I have a suspicion, although I'm not sure. But Bella, promise me that you'll be careful. Carlisle and the others are working on it but if worse comes to worse we all might have to sacrifice something."

I frowned, worry lines lining my forehead, a thousand questions spinning around my head. I opened my mouth to say something, but the shrill cry of Charlotte from the distance alerted me suddenly.

"Go and see your friend" Alice said touching my arm, "We can talk about this later."

I nodded in spite of myself and leaned over giving Alice another hug, she patted my back slowly before bidding me goodbye and making future plans for another meeting.

"We'll be keeping an eye on you, so don't dwell on it to much. Jasper and Emmett are all over this." Alice winked, before turning and walking away. I watched her until she quickened her pace and vanished out of sight.

I bowed my head attempting to organize my thoughts, for whatever reason the Cullens were here and I knew that I would once again be in the center of it all. A part of me hated Edward for putting me in this position yet again, but even if I hadn't met the Cullens, would my situation here have been any different?

"Bella! Guys she's here!" Charlotte came running down across the lawn toward me, for a distance she looked like she had been dragged through a hedge backwards, her clothes were blackened and torn and there were crimson stains on her arms.

Pushing past the gates, I entered the grounds and walked up to the scene of chaos that awaited me.

~To Be Continued


	4. Chapter 4 Shadows

**Now the story, it's longer once again and goes into the drama a bit more plus a small development between Carlisle and Bella occurs as the chapter progresses.**

**Hope you all like it and please leave any thoughts and impressions you have on this story. I am very grateful to all your reviews as they help me out so much in writing this.**

**DISCLAIMER: I am not Stephenie Meyer, all the characters in this story are hers and I merely experimenting with a different version to her books.**

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EDITED 03/15/2010: A few extras have been added.

**Chapter 4**

**Whispering Shadows.**

"Am I under arrest Officer?" I asked coolly, glaring at the plump figure of the policeman. He was frantically typing on his iPhone in the process sending an email. His cold grey eyes looked up to meet mine and he smirked sourly.

"We're not sure yet. I need to see if your story checks out." he said in a voice that indicated he smoked at least 20 cigars a day. "you're the prime suspect in this you see."

I folded my arms and scowled. "But I've been out for most of the aftenoon..."

"...like I said before, we have to check it out. I can't simply take your word for it." the policeman muttered.

I sighed and averted my gaze over to Charlotte. She was in the corner, sitting on what looked like a bench. Her head was half concealed in hands. Carlisle was beside her with a paramedic. It was somewhat of a miracle that he been around during the time of the incident. As I watched him I found myself conpletely lost to everything else that was happening around me. I barely heard the police office's voice beside me. For a split moment I saw him turn and fix his eyes upon me. I felt the breathe catch in my chest as he did so.

"Miss Swan?"

I turned sharply to look into the policeman's irritated face as he repeated whatever question he had asked me. But not matter what I did and every answer I gave simply seeme to make me look even more guilty. How could thia be?

"It is rather ironic that fifteen minutes ago you all believed I was dead." I muttered bitterly.

"Circumstances change and since nobody witnessed you leaving the area," the policeman smirked. "you can understand how suspicious the whole thing looks."

"You think I set fire to my own dorm?"

"This is more than a simple arson attack Miss Swan. This is a suspected Homicide and considering the events that have been going on here..."

"...wait a second, how can you treat this as a homicide? There wasn't anyone in my dorm."

"Well there was when the fire fighters came on the scene. It would explain your friend," The officer nodded over to Charlotte who was engrossed in conversation with Carlisle. "going up there and almost kill herself."

My stomach did a somersault as he spoke as the reality of situation came over me. Carlisle had some explaining to do. In fact all of the Cullens had some explaining to do. This wasn't a typical attack, unless they had thought the person to be me and then...

"Now we may need you to come down to the station to..."

"I don't think that is necessary." Carlisle was standing beside me placing an arm on my shoulder.

The officer raised an eyebrow and looked from me to Carlisle questioning a hint of suspicion lining his frown.

"I can vouch for Miss Swan." Carlisle said slowly. I shot him a look, but his expression silenced me.

"Oh can you now? And what were you and Miss Swan doing that should _preoccupy _her during the incident?" I opened my mouth to answer but Carlisle leaned forward a smirk curving his lips.

"She was with my niece Alice Cullen in the LeNoire café. I can give her and the café a call if you want a confirmation."

The officer bit his lip furiously. My alibi was confirmed even if the circumstances looked suspicious.

"We can do those ourselves thanks."the officer muttered.

"Of course you can," Carlisle said in a level tone that did little to hide his resentment. "now I hope you don't mind leaving Miss Swan in peace while I have a quick word with her."

The policeman scowled. "You'll have to say on the premises Miss Swan. You are a suspect in this." The officer muttered looking from Carlisle to me. "Can you manage that?"

"I think so. Now if you would excuse me," I said my tone laced with ice. I turned and headed up the path to Charlotte who was wrapped in a blanket and sipping a steaming cup of tea. Carlisle held back having a few more words with the police officer. I came up and sat on the bench next to Charlotte, putting her bandaged hand in mine.

"How are you feeling?" I asked looking at her closely.

"I'm Okay. It's nothing really, just a few scratches." She said giving me a worn smile.

"You want to tell me how you got those injuries; I know fire can't cut you up Charlotte."

She sighed and looked down at her shoes. "I fell when I tried to get in our dorm, some of the windows were broken and I cut myself on the glass. It was stupid I know, but..."

Charlotte broke off still avoiding my eyes, blood stains lined her face, and as I looked more closely the back of her hair was damp and smelling strongly of blood.

"Charlotte did you cut you head?" Her head snapped up and she starred eyes wide. "No, why?"

"Your hair is covered in blood."

"Crap. How did that happen?" She rubbed the back of her head, and looking across at Carlisle.

"Maybe you should go to the hospital." I suggested lamely knowing the answer before she spoke.

"Isabella can I have a word with you?" Carlisle called as the crowd of police started to thin slightly.

"You're on a first name bases?" Charlotte asked her tone surprised.

"We go back a long way." I shrugged getting up and walking towards him, his face seemed whiter than usual and there were dark rings under his eyelids.

"Bella I want you to come and stay with us." He said in a rush. "It's too dangerous for you to be alone in this time."

"No." I said firmly shaking my head.

Carlisle grabbed my arm and pulled me to a clearing beneath a clump of low hanging tree branches away from earshot.

"Bella this isn't the time to be heroic." he golden eyes laced with emotion and concern. I had never seen him look this way before.

"I'm not being heroic Carlisle," I said steadily. "I can look after myself." I folded my arms and looked at him with stern determination.

"Against vampires Bella? Do you not remember what James did to you?" He said slowly.

I exhaled running a hand through my dark hair. "I'm not going to rearrange my life for a bunch of nomads Carlisle, if needs be I'll just change schools."

"Bella someone was killed inside your dorm, next time that someone could you and I wont let that happen." He said reminding me somewhat of Edward when he was stressed.

"This isn't your burden Carlisle, it's mine and I'll deal with it the way I see fit. I'm not going to shack up with you and the others..."

"...Bella," he began to say.

"...If you want to help then tell me what the hell is going on, why are vampires after me again?"

"I'll fill you in on everything if you agree to come and stay with us, just temporarily until this is cleared up." he said in an effort to be flexible.

"Why is it that whenever you guys appear something bad happens?" I asked glanced at the blacked remains that once were my dormitory windows the edges lined with chipped glass.

"Bella it was happening anyway, it's just become worse than it was." Carlisle said taking my hand in his. A ripple shot through my spine at the touch of his cold skin.

"This shouldn't be happening," I murmured in a low voice, locking my eyes on to his. "Alice is supposed to be watching the situation. I leave for an hour and half and I come back to find my room burnt down and a homicide."

"The attacks are random Bella, and you know Alice can't track on the unpredictable."

The sky was growing darker now and a wintry breeze flowed across the grounds spreading the feeling of fear across the campus, most of the students had departed now some heading towards their dorms and others to the library. Normality would be absent for a while and I knew that this, whatever it was, was not over.

"You can stand guard outside my dorm; send Jasper and Emmett to keep an eye on things. But don't expect me to just shack up with you over this; I'm not rearranging my life again. Not this time."

"You won't reconsider?" he pleaded.

"No."

Carlisle bit his lip and nodded admitting defeat. "Let me know where they relocate you. I'll get Jasper to keep an eye on things."

I smiled looking into his darkening eyes the fear had been erased, and I felt confident, even alert. Despite the long separation, my trust with the Cullen's still lingered and even if the situation reflected that of when James and the nomads had been after me.

"Thank you Carlisle."

"I still think it is better if you just stay with us."

I smiled and squeezed his hand. "I know, but I'll be fine."

We departed a few moments later after I had agreed to call him when Charlotte and I settled in to our new residence. About ten minutes later as I headed back to the main centre office to collect our new keys to the dorm a sudden memory of Edward's lingering words echoed in my mind.

_I infuriate myself. The way I can't seem to keep from putting you in danger. My very existence puts you at risk. Sometimes I truly hate myself._

As Charlotte and I collected the remainder of our possession, most of which had been saved by the firefighters. I caught a glimpse of Alice a short distance away, I could have called her over but she seemed to be involved in a argument with Carlisle. That was odd. They rarely ever argued.

* * *

_Time elapse: one month_

Time seemed to flow faster than usual and before we knew it, the fall had been killed by winter and the month of November was upon us once more. Carlisle continued to teach part time in the evening classes and keep a job at the local hospital in the city. I had found myself spending more time with him than any of the other Cullens. It was surprisingly easy to be with him, and it was a nice distraction for all the chaos that had been going on around here.

"Have you considered getting a new car?" he had asked me during one afternoon where I was couped up in the library. "It is a safer mode of transport than walking."

I shrugged, I hadn't had another vehicle since my old trunk which had ceased to function about a year after I had arrived her. I never could bring myself to get a replacement. "I don't need one since I live in the University and I don't go to far away places so."

Carlisle leaned in closer in the act of looking over the notes I was writing for an essay and whisper slowly in my ear. "You could borrow my car."

I flinched up and raised my eye brows at him. "Borrow your Mercedes, Carlisle are you insane?"

"You don't approve of German cars?" he said with a grin.

I sighed and couldnt help but smile back in amusement. "No, but can you imagine how it will look if I start driving around in my professors car."

Carlisle paused for a moment and then nodded. "Fine, how about Alice? I'm sure she would allow you to drive the Porsche..."

"Can you stop it with the car lending please?" I said trying to keep a straight face. "Thank you for the offer, but I am fine."

"Well, if you are sure." he muttered with a bemused smile as he scanned over my Psychology notes once more.

As the weeks went by, the other Cullens started to make their presence more common around the campus. Alice had enrolled in for a part-time Doctoral degree in Fashion design due to start after the Christmas holidays. Emmett and Rosalie had become regular visitors on the campus much to Charlotte's delight; her and Rosalie had become firm friends which had bemused Alice beyond measure. I rarely saw Jasper, and I hadn't spoken to him since the Cullen's had first arrived. Alice constantly assured me that he was merely preoccupied with work.

Security had increased to the maximum capacity despite there being no more incidents or homicides. And the disappearances continued yet fewer than last time.

The students hadn't been given a lot of though on to the issue, with the looming of finals on the way most of us were so engrossed in revision and practice that we barely notice anything hugely different. Fear and anxiety was devoted only to the academic sector of University life, something to which I was grateful for. I wasn't prepared to let anything get in the way of my degree even if a bunch of lunatic vampires were roaming around.

As I was heading back to my dorm from a late tutorial with my shoulder aching by the leather straps of my bag overloaded with books. A sudden sound alerted me, a rushing sound of air being disturbed by rapid motion. I looked around only to see a handful of students walking around absentmindedly unaware of anything. Sighing I collected my thoughts and continued on my way, ignoring the feeling of unease that had crept upon me again.

"Isabella..." A familiar voice called from my right side I glanced at Carlisle who was standing mere inches away from the entrance to my building.

"Do you enjoy sneaking up on people?" I asked slightly annoyed as my heart rate returned to normal.

"I didn't mean to frighten you." He said his lips twitching.

"I wasn't frightened, just surprised." I said quickly.

He smirked with twinkling golden eyes lighting up his expression presently bemused. "Is that what they call it these days?"

"What do you want Carlisle. I don't know if you noticed but this bag is breaking my back and I'm freeze, so can you make it snappy?"

He nodded and walked over to stand by me reaching for the bag and taking it off my shoulder. "May I?"

"You kind of already are, but okay." I said feeling relieved at the weight being taken off me. I flexed by arm easing the tension in my muscles.

"So how's the revision going?" Carlisle asked swinging the bag easily on his shoulder as if he was carrying a bag of feathers.

"Its' a good distraction from you know." I said walking onwards but slightly slower, it was unnecessary considering Carlisle could probably keep up with little or no effort involved. He nodded the smile fading slightly; it was evident that despite my obliviousness, the situation was worsening. Another body had been recovered a mile away, physically intact with the cause of death the same as the last. Bled to death, even though no traces of blood had been found around the victims.

"Do you have any leads?" I asked.

"We have a hunch, well Alice does, but its' complicated." said carefully

"It usually is with your kind isn't it?" I muttered.

"Bella, I don't think it is safe for you to go back to Forks for the Holidays, not this year anyway." Carlisle said suddenly.

I raised my eyebrows aiming to restrain a smile, "I have no intention of going back, and there isn't anything there for me anyway."

"But your father?" He asked slightly puzzled, walking so slowly he was close to stopping.

"Oh didn't Alice tell you Hhe's in Australia."

"He left?" Carlisle asked surprised.

"About a month after I first came here. He wanted to spend his retirement somewhere more warm and sunny I guess." I said shrugged.

"He went to Australia?" Carlisle's tone was disbelieving.

"It was one of his ambitions and I wasn't planning on ever returning there so... Forks didn't possess anything to keep him there."

Carlisle starred at me for a long moment and we continued a slow pace in silence. "Alice never mentioned that…"

"…maybe because Edward told her not to keep a watch for me." I suggested.

"Perhaps, but Bella would you mind spending the holidays with us. I mean unless you're planning on visiting your father." He asked tentatively casting a look to the ground.

I couldn't help but hesitate at this offer. It had been a while since I had been with any of the Cullens and this whole idea of returning to normality wasn't very appealing at present. "I was, but the tickets are pretty pricey and I'll probably be followed or something. Lets face it your kinds have no boundaries." I smiled again, as I often did whenever I looked at him. _Perhaps I have developed some sort of reflex? _

Carlisle nodded thoughtfully and returned his golden eyed gaze upon me full of intent. "So, will you come and stay with us?"

I contemplated for a moment. "Only for the holidays, then I'm straight back to my dorm."

"I'm hardly going to keep you away from here Bella." He replied with a hint of amusement in his tone.

"Fine, but I have to say it will be weird; I mean I'll be the only one eating there."

Carlisle laughed revealing ivory white teeth. "We'll drink with you if that helps."

We had reached the entrance to my building now. A few students were congregating around one of the guards on duty unaware of our presence.

"Well thank you." I said reaching out and taking my bag from Carlisle.

"Jasper will be on guard tonight, in that tree." He pointed to large oak that stood across from my dorm window, its bare branches forming a dense black mass.

"Do you have any plans for this evening?" I asked feeling somewhat guilty that I was burdening the Cullens in such a manner. I was sure Jasper had better things to do than this.

"I have a night shift at the Hospital that will start in a few minutes."

"Oh," I said biting my lip and frowning. "I didn't mean to make you late." Although technically I hadn't, not intentionally in any case.

"I'm okay for time; I happened to be a very fast runner so there is little chance of me being late." He said his eyes twinkling.

I nodded before bidding him good night and before attempting to head up the stairs but I felt a cold hand clasp over mine as I did so and I turned back to look at the Cullen Patriarch with raised eye brows. "Yes?"

"Be careful Bella and if you ever need anything..."

"...I know where to find you." I replied giving him a reassuring smile. He squeezed my hand gently before turning and walking back up the pathway vanishing into the darkness. I stood for a couple of seconds gazing after him and it was only when one of the guards asked if I was okay that I finally took the short journey up the staircase to my room. The warmth of the halls of residence welcomed me away from the bitter November air. Charlotte was already there, sitting cross-legged on her bed typing frantically on her laptop.

"Where've you been?" she asked as I threw my bag on the floor next to my bed and gave a large yawn.

"To the library…why?"

"I saw you walking with Professor Cullen just now." Charlotte said with a poor attempt to keep her voice casual. I shrugged and busied myself with unpacking my bag that possessed an oddly delicious scent of musk.

"He just wanted to ask me something about this weeks' Assignment." I said coolly not looking up at her.

Charlotte snorted loudly and shook her head. "Sure, sure. So why was he carrying your bag then?"

"Because he's a gentleman," I said keeping my tone neutral. "It was heavy and he offered to help out that's all"

"Nobody else…"

"…well maybe he's not like everybody else." I snapped walking over to my work bench and dropping my folder on to it with a crash. "There is nothing going on Charlotte, so please stop implying that there is."

"I can't help what I see Bella, and it looks way too friendly to simply be a teacher/student relationship. And you've been acting weirdly for over a month and a half now."

"What's this?" I asked cutting her off in mid sentence and pointing to an unopened envelope on my work desk.

"Oh, I found it on the floor. It's addressed to you." Charlotte said casually not looking up.

"Since when do we get mail sent directly to our dorms? We have PO boxes for a reason." I said looking at her with my tone rather suspicious.

"Might be from a student or something." Charlotte reasoned with a shrug, not looking up.

I scanned the outside of the envelope, in clear black unfamiliar writing stated: _For Isabella Swan's eyes only_

Puzzled I ripped the letter open and unfolded it quickly. At once the warmth that had surrounded me moments ago was gone like someone had poured a bucket of ice water on my head. I froze as horror filled me and a small gasp left my lips. The letter fell to the floor. I collapsed on the bed my face it my hands, trying to drown out the image from my mind.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Charlotte scrambled to her feet and over to my shaking figure on the bed, she looked at me closely before scooping up the note with glancing at it.

"What the hell is this?" She said in shock

"I don't –" I broke off frowning.

"Bella it's written in blood!"

"Yes I- I know" I said weakly trying to fight the wave of nausea that was upon me.

"We've got to tell the police," She said.

"No!" I was on my feet suddenly in time to see Charlotte scrambling to put on her jacket and head for the door.

"Are you insane, first our dorm is burnt down and now this, come on Bella they have to give us protection or something?"

"They can't protect us. Carlisle, we need Carlisle." I snatched my cell phone tapping the speed dial for Carlisle before throwing my coat on and heading out the door and setting off at a run down the steps

"What the hell can he do Bella?" Charlotte called following me now.

"Stay in the dorm okay, just stay there." I yelled pushing past students all looking stricken, within minutes I was down running across the path the phone pressed to my ear.

"Pick up," I called down the received. There was a thud and snap of a tree branch breaking before I felt my entire body collide with something cold and solid. It took me a second to realize that I has been knocked backwards to the ground, and when I looked up a pair of glowing crimson eyes met my gaze.

To Be Continued.............


	5. Chapter 5 Consequences

Message from the author:

Hello, hope you are all having a good weekend!

I'm in the aim of keeping my updates weekly for this fic.

This chapter is dedicated to the reviewers for their comments and impressions on the story so far. I probably would be able to write if it wasnt for the motivation and encouragement you provide. So I want to say a big THANK YOU to all of you and please keep reviewing and posting any comments you may have.

Visuals for this fic will be posted on my profile soon, so if your curious check them out.

They will increase as the story goes on.

**_CHAPTER 5: EDITED 04/06/2010_**

The Apparition

_By John Donne_

_When by thy scorn, O murd'ress, I am dead,  
And that thou thinkst thee free  
From all solicitation from me,  
Then shall my ghost come to thy bed,  
And thee, feign'd vestal, in worse arms shall see :  
Then thy sick taper will begin to wink,  
And he, whose thou art then, being tired before,  
Will, if thou stir, or pinch to wake him, think  
Thou call'st for more,  
And, in false sleep, will from thee shrink :  
And then, poor aspen wretch, neglected thou  
Bathed in a cold quicksilver sweat wilt lie,  
A verier ghost than__ I._

"Be gentle with her Felix," a deep melodic voice sounded close beside me. I kept my eyes firmly shut as I hung limply upon the shoulder of my captor. Tight bonds held my arms firmly behind my back. I couldn't move an inch.

"I still don't understand why we can't just take her to Volterra now," another voice, I guessed that it belonged to Felix, spoke coldly, almost resentfully.

"We still haven't clarified whether or not she possesses any powers."

_Powers? I didn't possess any powers._

The whispering continued between the two male vampires, but they were speaking so fast that I could barely register what they were saying. The thunderous beat of my heart was engulfing my ears, and sending me into a fit of despair. I could only pray that Alice had seen a vision of this and by now the Cullens were on their way to find me.

After a short while I felt my captor shift me off their shoulder and settle into the damp grass.

_Where am I?_

I kept my eyes closed as I felt an icy hand move to my neck and caress it gently. "I can certainly see the attraction Edward had to this one," Felix said excitedly. "She smells delicious."

"Stick to the plan Felix," the second voice said hastily. "We came to collect two samples of her blood, not to feast upon it."

An exasperated sigh emitted from one of the two vampires and I caught the vague scent of their breath upon me. The scent was reminiscent intoxicating peppermint. I felt my head cloud over as an avalanche of dizziness came over me. And then, with a sudden rough movement, I felt an icy hand clasp my wrist and the tip of a blade meet my skin. _Oh God. _ A horrid piercing pain erupted in my left wrist and spread to every fiber of my arm. A warm trickle of liquid began running down my wrist and I heard the faint drip, drip, drip of the liquid meeting the bottom of a glass bottle.

"Can you imagine if we told Edward about this Alec?" the voice chuckled humorlessly. "The reaction would be hysterical."

"I doubt our _Guardiano di Sangue_ will find it amusing if you blabbed about this to his protégé Felix."

"We technically shouldn't be doing this at all," the one I assumed to be Felix responded. "If Victoria and Laurent had done their jobs correctly."

"What do you expect from Nomads Alec, all they think about is their thirst."

The voices were fading and I felt myself grow even dizzier. I fought desperately to maintain consciousness, but I had lost what I assumed was quiet a lot of blood and I doubted I could keep coherent much longer.

"I think that will do Felix," Alec said after a moment. "We need to get going."

I heard nothing else after that. The black abyss of unconsciousness had swept over me entirely. I was lost and figured I was in the last moments of my life.

* * *

Time elapse

"Bella, Bella can you hear me?" A familiar velvet voice sounded somewhere close beside me. My body felt oddly weightless. It was as if I was floating in mid air. Had I died and returned as a ghost?

"Isabella, please wake up" a soft cool hand caressed my cheek.

My eye lids flickered for a split second before opening completely. I let out a sharp gasp and blinked frantically in the bright light. I saw Carlisle's flawless face hovering above my own and I felt my stomach do a back flip.

"Bella," he said exhaling in relief and sending a tidal wave of his scent over me. "Oh thank God."

"W…where am I?" I asked breathlessly looking around the large rectangular room with white wash walls. It was decorated in chic French antiques that only Alice could have chosen.

"At my house," he said fixing his gaze upon me intently. You're safe here. Alice and Rosalie are preparing a few things for you downstairs."

I was in my professor's house? Oh no! What if the University or Charlotte found out? And what had happened to Charlotte after I had hurriedly left her in the dorm? I tried to sit up hastily but Carlisle held me down gently, on top of the soft pillows. "You need to rest Bella; you have lost a lot of blood."

"Charlotte," I gasped out. "Where is she?"

"She was with us when we found you and I said that we would take you to the emergency room. Jasper and Emmett are accompanying her back to the dorm."

"And the note? Did you see the note, did you find-"

Carlisle pressed a finger to my lips and shushed me instantly.

"Hush, Bella everything is fine."

How could he say that when I had almost been abducted by two vampires? I tried to speak but his finger still held my lips closed.

"I am aware of the letter you received Bella," he said calmly.

"And we will discuss it when you have recovered."

I wanted to say _"I'm fine," but_ I could barely utter a single word at that point. I decided that sitting up would probably give a better inclination. I hurriedly raised myself up and pushed the duvet covers aside. "Please just let me get up," I said sliding to the edge of the bed, and I made to stand, but as I did so a sudden wave of dizziness hit me and I fell back instantly into Carlisle's arms.

"Bella," he said holding me upright. "Could you try to be reasonable? You've had a difficult night and what you need to do now is rest."

I sighed against his chest and waited for the wave of dizziness to subside. It was then I noticed that Carlisle was no longer dressed in his usual attire of button down shirts and dress pants. Instead he was wearing light blue scrubs, evidently he had come straight from the hospital.

"I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble," I murmured finally, clutching onto his arm for support.

"You have no need to apologize Bella," Carlisle said gently easing me back onto the bed and smoothing the covers over me again. "It is us who should be apologizing to you for

putting you in this situation again."

"You can't help it; I'm a human with full knowledge of the vampire realm. Something like this was bound to happen."

"It is a miracle you have survived this long," Carlisle said fixing a stern gaze upon me, and again I felt my heart skip a beat.

"No it isn't really," I said shrugging and propping myself up again the pillows. "I had the wolves in La Push to protect me during my last years in Forks."

Carlisle raised his eyebrows somewhat surprised. "I take it Jacob Black aided you on the protection front."

I nodded as a vague recollection of my time spent in La Push washed over me.

"We were wrong to have left you like that," Carlisle murmured almost to himself. "I can never forgive myself for allowing Edward to act in such a foolish and irresponsible manner. It is our fault that all these attacks are happening around here."

The change of mood caught me off guard. I had never seen him speak against anyone with such anger. He had always been the calmest one of the Cullens and I wasn't quite sure what to say next. I placed a hand over Carlisle's and squeezed it gently.

"Don't blame yourself," I said slowly. "You cannot help what is going on here and it doesn't matter in any case. I'm safe now." He looked up to meet my gaze and smiled the familiar warm smile. "It's just… I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you."

I rolled my eyes and smiled ruefully. "You're too sentimental Carlisle,"

He chuckled lightly and brought my hand to his lips, kissing it lightly.

"Carlisle?" a high bell chime voice emitted across the room as the door clicked opened. Alice strolled in a frown lining her usually happy face.

"Yes, you can come in Alice," Carlisle said without taking his eyes off me.

She was followed closely by Rosalie who carried a large tray laden with a teapot and an entire chocolate cake decorated with strawberries and raspberries.

"I thought you might be hungry," Rosalie said laying the tray down upon the bedside table.

"Its' a little late to be snacking," I said.

"Its' low calorie and it will calm you down," Rosalie said flashing me a grin. "You have no idea how lucky you are to be able to eat that."

Alice nodded as she cut a generous slice of chocolate cake; Rosalie busied herself with pouring out the tea.

"As your doctor Isabella, I recommend liberal amounts of chocolate whilst you are recovering," Carlisle said with a small grin as he took the plate from Alice and handed me the cake. From the corner of my eye I was certain that I had seen Alice cast a disapproving look in Carlisle's direction, almost suspiciously.

"If I eat," I said gesturing to the cake with my finger. "Will you tell me who is responsible for this?"

Rosalie gave Carlisle an _I told you so _look as she handed me a cup of tea. Carlisle sighed and then said in a rather defeated voice.

"I cannot say for certain who did this to you, but whoever it was," he said gesturing to my wrists. "took a rather large sample of your blood."

"Why?" I asked scooping up a spoon full of cake and putting it into my mouth. It was the most delicious chocolate cake I had ever tasted and I hurriedly filled up another spoonful.

Carlisle frowned before answering. "I can only draw the conclusion they wanted to analyze your blood. Perhaps they want to check you're the one they are after."

"These attacks," Rosalie said steadily sitting on the edge of the bed.

"They're not the work of a new born. Emmett and I have been piecing the patterns of behavior together. Each of the victims are girls who look remarkably like you." She fixed a melancholy gaze upon me, an effort to reassure.

"So you're saying that the Volturi burned down my dorm and killed whoever was in there?" I asked, before taking a long sip of tea. The warm liquid soothed my dry throat and created a warming sensation that flowed right to my finger tips. I was feeling better already, the dizziness had completely gone now.

"It is possible," Carlisle said carefully. "I know that the University has blamed the fire on the _""Faulty electrics"-"_ and someone _turning off the smoke alarm_."

"From what I have seen these past months within the Volturi layer," Alice began; "you have become a constant problem for them. Aro thinks that you are a dangerous liability."

"But how do the Volturi know about me?" I asked putting down my spoon onto the now empty plate.

"I believe Victoria may have gone to Laurent for help while he lived with the Denali clan. And I know for a fact that Irina had told Laurent of the Volturi," Carlisle said. "I'm guessing that they went to the Volturi, told them that we had associated openly with a human and…" he broke off knowing that I could guess the rest.

"We are an unusually large clan, probably second best to the Volturi themselves – and the fact that a human knows about us increases the risk of exposure. It's actually quite shocking how much the Volturi fear exposure," Rosalie said.

"They destroy anything and anyone that dares threaten their way of life, their secret," Carlisle added.

"Bullies are always the biggest cowards in the playground."

Rosalie shook her head and gave Alice a dark look. "They try to justify themselves by saying it's for the good of the vampire race."

"So it's' all them," I said. "The murders and disappearances. It does not make any sense. Why wasn't I killed when those vampires dragged me away to that park? And why was I sent a letter written in blood?"

The sudden memory of the letter hit me again along with a vision of the blood red writing; the words had been engraved in upon my brain.

_Tick-Tock_

_Your Time Is Running Out _

_Allow Us to Break This Fixation_

_DRAIN AND DEVOUR CONQUER THIS ADDICTION._

_Soon you'll find yourself fighting the floor as we drain you dry and watch you die._

_An eye for eye, a mate for a mate_

_Your Time Is Running Out Isabella._

"Judging by the content of the letter," Carlisle said. "I think it is a message from Victoria warning you of her presence. A very foolish move on her part."

"Surely they know you're here."

"Actually they have no idea that we are here," Alice said slightly smug, even though we have been tracing them for years, even after we left forks. Edward developed a sort of obsession with them. He suspected Victoria would want revenge after we destroyed James, and kept a close, unseen guard on her. He was doing a good job too, until he left."

_And joined the Volturi_ I thought.

"But what about…" I began but Alice had put her hand up frowning with eyes out of focus, another vision no doubt. We waited, watching her with increasing apprehension. A gasp escaped her lips not a few moments later when her eyes came back into focus and she stood up looking widely around.

"Alice?" Carlisle asked, rising from the bed.

"Jasper," she whispered as a sudden loud bang from downstairs broke the tense silence of the house. The sound of the front door opening and violently hitting the wall with a thud.

"Oh no," Alice said as she shot out of the room before I even had a chance to blink. Rosalie stood and gave me an apologetic look before hurriedly following her sister out of the room.

Carlisle got to his feet and looked at me with a concerned expression. "I'll be back in second," he said turning and half sprinting out of the room, closing the door behind him. I sat for a moment straining my ears to listen to the commotion below.

"Emmett what happened? Why are you covered in blood?" I heard Rosalie half cry out from the corridor of the house below.

"I need to see..." I heard Jasper gasp out and then there was a loud sound of a scuffle along with panicked voices.

"Jazz NO!" Alice called out frantically.

I started to shift in the bed feeling slightly uneasy, but before the door was burst open and Jasper ran into the room. His eyes were jet black and menacing, the sweater he had been wearing was torn and ripped in several places, leaves and dirt were scatted in his hair. I stared wide eyed at him, the only time I had ever seen that look in his eye was at my eighteenth birthday party. He was shaking violently as the figures of Carlisle, Emmett and Alice darted into the room.

"You. Need. To. Leave," he gasped out in a hoarse, menacing voice, his fangs extended over his parted lips.

"I…what" I asked getting to my feet unsteadily and backing away slightly.

"Jasper come you've lost a lot of blood and…"Carlisle began holding on to his arms.

"Bella, he knows. E-E-Edward knows..." And then Jasper's eyes closed instantly and he collapsed onto the ground. He lay motionless on the now blood stained floor.

~To be continued.


	6. Assumptions Chapter 6

Bonjour! The chapter is here and at it is quite a long one. Thank you so much for reviewing and commenting. You truly have no idea how influential you are all to my writing, I probably wouldn't have even written this far if it wasn't for all of you, so thank you very much.

This chapter is dedicated to: the reviewers and subscribers of this story, Apocalyptica & Within Temptation.

* * *

Chapter 6 EDITED: 04/06/2010

**Assumptions**

"We need to get Jasper out of here," Carlisle said, gesturing to Emmett. They both stooped low and lifted Jasper's limp body off the ground. Carlisle supported Jasper's head and shoulders while Emmett took the hold of his legs. Together they carried him out of the room; Alice and Rosalie following them close behind, both their expressions slightly fearful.

As soon as they left I started pacing around the room, feeling my heart beating almost painfully against my chest. A thousand thoughts were cascading in my mind at this point and I knew I had to stay out of Jasper's sight until he had been well nourished. A strong sense of déjà vu came over the scene as I walked up and down, my feet slinking across the silk carpet.

None of this makes any sense. If Edward had returned why would he go after Jasper? They were like brothers, but then again he had been with the Volturi for a long while, perhaps they had changed him. What if he had seen Charlotte and mistaken her for me then attacked her?

I couldn't stay here wondering whether or not she was okay. I had to go back to the dorm. It would probably be safer in any case; I could hardly stay here in a situation like this. I glanced down at the satin pajamas I was wearing that evidently belonged to Rosalie. I could hardly go out in these, so I looked around the room and spotted a closet door beside the bed. I walked towards it and opened the door, gasping at the long row of assorted clothes on racks; there were seven rows of shelves littered with pairs of designer shoes. It took me about ten minutes to find a pair of black jeans, a sweater and a simple pair of converse shoes.

Hopefully I could get dressed quickly before any of the Cullens came back. I placed the clothes on the edge of the bed and started to take off my pajama top; my wrists were stinging slightly within my bandages and I can't help but wince as I slide one arm out of the top and then move on to the other. I was about the lift the shirt fully over my head when footsteps came up to the door and I hurriedly started to slide my arms back into the sleeves again, making sure that my chest was well concealed.

"Bella?" Carlisle said, opening the door and stepping inside. He glanced from me to the clothes beside the bed and raised his eye brows questioningly. "Are you planning on going somewhere?"

I bit my lip and averted my gaze from him for a moment. The door clicked shut and Carlisle was in front of me before I even had time to blink.

"Bella," he said tentatively. I kept my eyes to the floor cursing my lack of speed in getting dressed. But it wouldn't matter what he said I wasn't staying here, not if I could help it. He placed his index finger under my chin and raised my face to look at him. There was concern laced in his eyes with the slightest hint of amusement. "You don't have to leave you know."

"I want to," I said looking determinately at him. "I need to see if Charlotte is okay and-" Carlisle cut me off.

"Your friend is fine Bella; Jasper was attacked after he had dropped her off at the dorm."

I blinked. "Well I can't stay here anyway, you're my professor and it doesn't look very good."

Carlisle smiled reassuringly and took my hands in his own. "Nobody will know and as far as anyone is concerned you spent the night at the hospital. I can get one of the nurses to confirm that for me if anyone gets suspicious."

"And what about Jasper and what he said about Edward…" I begin to say.

"I have just been on the phone with Edward and he is still in Volterra. And the attack on Jasper was probably just Victoria and her army of newborns. They most likely assumed that Jasper had been with you and were probably trying to get information out of him," Carlisle said simply.

I pulled my hands away from his and turned, walking back to the bed. "You have an answer for everything don't you."

Carlisle smirked and shook his head. "I'm not going to force you to stay here Bella," he said, keeping his expression neutral. "If you want to leave I'm more than happy to drive you back to the dorm. But consider your safety before you do anything."

I remained silent for a long moment pondering on the situation. My body ached all over and there was nothing I wanted more than to sleep and forget about the night's events for the moment. I was too exhausted to argue it further.

"I'll stay here tonight and that's it. Tomorrow I'm going back," I stated, walking over and picking up the clothes and placing them on the dressing table. Carlisle inclined his head and seemed to be fighting back a smile.

"You haven't won though," I added, climbing back into bed and pulling the duvet over my chest.

"I never said it was a competition Bella," he said coming forward and collecting the tray of tea and cake, picking it up with one hand. "Get some rest. We can talk more in the morning."

I nodded and watched him moving at a slower pace towards the door and opened it before flicking off the light. He paused and looked back at me still smiling. "Good night Bella,"

"Night, and thank you again."

He nodded and disappeared out of the room, closing the door softly behind him. I lay back against the pillows and gazed up at the dark ceiling, allowing my exhaustion to take me over.

Seconds later, or at least it felt like seconds, there was a loud click and the door flew open. I sat hurriedly upright and looked around whilst attempting to blink the sleep out of my eyes.

"Good Morning!" Alice's voice was at a higher octave than usual as she drew open the curtains, letting the morning light flow into the room.

"What time is it?" I asked rubbing my eyes and yawning.

"Its eight thirty-five," Alice said smiling and walking over to the edge of the bed. "Did you sleep well?"

I nodded and yawned once more, I was still trying to rid my mind of the memory of the dream I had had, a very peculiar dream. "Is there something wrong?" Alice asked looking at me closely. "You were talking in your sleep and I was wondering if you had any nightmares."

_Oh no I was talking in my sleep?_ I hadn't done that in years and I hoped against hope that I hadn't said anything inappropriate during my unconscious hours. Too much of reading about Freud in Psych class had taught me to be wary of such things.

"No I didn't have any nightmares; I guess it was just stress from what happened," I said shrugging. Alice gave me an apologetic look and nodded before handing me a towel and a small makeup bag.

"I figured you would want to take a morning shower, so I brought you some hair and body products." She gestured to the bag.

I took them and gave her a small smile. "Thanks Alice," I said, pushing the covers aside and standing up.

"The bathroom is down the hall, the last door on your right," Alice said hurrying out of the room toward the smell of toast and coffee that was drifting upstairs from the kitchen below. They never seemed to pass up the opportunity to cook when a human was around. I grabbed the towel and the bag of toiletries and headed to the bathroom. I was longing for a shower to rid the aches of last night's incident that lingered heavily on my joints.

As I walked down the corridor looking around the many closed doors trying to figure out which one was that of the bathroom, a door to the right suddenly opened. I almost dropped my towel as Carlisle emerged with his body half concealed by a towel wrapped tightly around his waist. I stopped dead, my eyes lingered on the delicately carved muscles upon his abdomen before I looked up to meet his gaze; soaking wet blond hair scattered over his head in a haphazard fashion. As much as I hated to admit it he looked absolutely stunning.

"Bella, you're awake," he stated. "Did you sleep well?"

_Look away he's your professor for heavens sake._

"Yes, I said averting my gaze from him." I was just going to freshen up." My voice was particularly higher in pitch than usual and a warm feeling spread over my cheeks. Of all moments to blush this was not one of them.

"Go ahead, there's plenty of hot water left, but I might have to change the bandages on your wrists afterwards," he said slightly bemused at my expression.

"Why?" I asked without thinking.

"To prevent infection, you received some very deep cuts Bella," he said, leaning against the door way.

"But how can it get infected if I'm taking a shower?" I began, as swift footsteps came up the stairs and seconds later Jasper appeared looking a lot better than the last time I had seen him. His eyes were butterscotch gold and there were no longer any purple shadows under his eyelids. He stopped and looked between us with the tiniest hint of a smile on his face asked, "Am I interrupting something?"

If I hadn't been blushing before I definitely was now. "Nope," I said, not meeting Jasper's eye.

"I was just giving Bella some medical advice," Carlisle said fixing a curious gaze upon Jasper who was examining him in rather odd fashion.

"Well I'd better get going," I said biting my bottom lip and realizing that my time was somewhat limited. I turned and hurried into the bathroom. I practically slammed the door behind me, leaning back against it and taking a deep breath while trying to rid the image of him from my mind. I could hear mutterings outside the door and, not wanting to eavesdrop, quickly undressed and stepped into the shower, immediately turning nozzle allowing the fully heated water to cascade upon me. A gentle steam was rising and the black tiles glinted slightly as the light reflected off the tiny beads of condensation on the wall. I closed my eyes and inhaled. There was an oddly delicious scent that surrounded the area as I ran the shampoo and conditioner through my hair, trying hard to rid my mind of the image of Carlisle dressed in nothing but a towel.

Twenty minutes later I was fully dressed in the clothes I had left out the night before. I stood in the corner of the spare bedroom, gazing at my reflection in the silver framed mirror that elegantly hung on the wall giving the bedroom a large appearance.

The pale well rounded face starred back at me with piercing chocolate brown eyes -once lined with tiredness- now looked fresh and alert. I brushed the long strands of dark hair in a halfhearted attempt to make it straight, and after a while, I gave up and headed downstairs. The rest of the Cullens were in the kitchen, Alice was busying herself by the cooker while Rosalie was sitting upon a stool by the kitchen counter engrossed in the latest issue of Vogue. I took a seat beside her and helped myself to freshly squeezed orange juice.

"Chocolate chip pancakes," Alice said zooming over to me with a large plate. I couldn't help but grin at her excited enthusiasm.

"Thanks Alice."

"You're welcome, oh and I have your cell phone that you dropped whilst you were being…attacked," She said handing my iPhone to me. I hadn't even realized it was missing and as I looked down upon it several missed calls had been listed, not only from Charlotte but from Renee, Charlie and to my dismay Jacob. I groaned as I scanned the list. How had they found out about this? The last thing I wanted was them getting involved in all this, especially Jacob. I hadn't even told them that I was once again in contact with the Cullens and I knew that the entire wolf pack would be down here in a flash if I told them. I had to make a good story to keep them away.

"We will take you down to the University this morning," Rosalie said slowly eyeing the pancakes somewhat remorsefully. "If that's okay with you?"

"I guess so but why?"

"It's just a safety precaution," Carlisle said from right behind me. I jumped slightly in my seat and cast him small glance. He was dressed in well fitted black dress pants with a crisp white buttoned down shirt. Even when fully dressed the outline of his toned physique could not be concealed.

"You think those guys are still out there?" I asked cutting into my pancakes with a fork.

"There is a strong possibility," Carlisle said walking over to the fridge taking out a large bottle that looked like it was filled with blood. He uncorked it and poured a generous helping into four glasses that stood on the black granite worktop. I raised my eyebrows curiously as Alice and Rosalie helped themselves to one.

"We like to keep extra supplies so we don't have to hunt as much," Carlisle said catching sight of my gaze.

"Yeah you will not believe how hard it is hunting animals in the city," Jasper's voice rang out in the entire kitchen as he walked in wearing a crisp black suit and looking preoccupied. He bore none of the appearance of a man who had, only hours earlier been attacked and almost ripped apart. His skin was smooth and his featured relaxed somewhat. He gave Alice a quick kiss before sitting himself down next to me and taking the remaining glasses of blood.

"How are you feeling?" I asked lightly trying not to let the scent of blood get to me.

"I'm great," he said and let out a small laugh, the first time I had seen him do so. "I think you're the first person to ask me how I'm feeling in about 150 years," he said glancing at me, his golden eyes twinkling.

"Well you were in pretty bad shape, sweetheart," Alice said settling herself on his lap and stirring her glass of blood with a straw.

"I've been in worse," Jasper said with a shrug. "But lets not worry about it now; what we should be focusing on is catching Laurent and Victoria."

"You're sure it was them?" Carlisle asked setting his half empty glass down.

"Positive. The scent was the same and I never forget a face."

"But why were they attacking you?" I asked slightly confused. "Laurent could never have mistaken you for Edward, he's met the two of you and…"

"Laurent did not attack me Bella. He was lurking in the back while the other members of his clan went for me." He took another sip of his drink before continuing. "It was when Victoria appeared did he actually start to become involved and by which time I was almost done for. These other vampires are not your regular nomads; they're warriors well trained and deadly."

"Random decision probably," Rosalie said wisely, "Maybe they thought we were going to sabotage their plan in getting to Bella and tried to get rid of us one by one."

I set down my fork onto my half empty plate and reached out for the orange juice, feeling a strong sense of guilt wash over me. So I was putting the Cullens safety at risk as well as my own. Déjà vu all over again.

Carlisle squeezed my shoulder comfortingly "Don't blame yourself Bella," he murmured.

"You can't say that I'm not partly responsible for this," I said slowly. "Those guys who attacked me will probably be after you now as well."

"I don't suppose you caught a glimpse of the two vampires that attacked you," Alice asked hopefully.

I wracked my brains and thought for a moment, still not taking my eyes off Carlisle. What were their names? I could have sworn I heard one of them. "I think one of them was called Alec and the other was Felix I think," I said slowly.

"Are you sure?" Carlisle said sharply.

"I think so, they were talking to each other, and I'm certain those were they're names."

"Alec and Felix," Alice said with a grim smile. "Interesting, Bella you didn't hear them say anything else did you?"

I wracked my brains attempting to recall the events of the previous night.

"They said something about the Guardiano di Sangue," I said slowly. "And something about a protégé."

Carlisle's fist clenched upon the table as I spoke and I looked at him suspiciously.

"His protégé?" Alice said puzzled "Who could that be?"

"We can discuss this later," Carlisle said hastily. "Bella I need to take a look at your arm before I drive you to the University."

Rosalie shot him a look and frowned. "But Alice and I were planning on dropping her off."

"There's no need I'm stopping there to collect a few things before I go to the Hospital..."

"The hospital?" I asked looking at him. "You're not teaching today?" The though made the idea of sitting through a ninety minute psychology class somewhat less exciting. Carlisle was such a brilliant lecturer and had made the subject a lot more interesting since he had started teaching.

"I am but not until late this afternoon," he said.

"Can I get a hint on what topic you'll be covering?" I asked with a grin.

Carlisle rolled his eyes and smirked. "You'll have to wait and see," he said touching the tip of my nose.

"Doesn't your shift start in like fifteen minutes Carlisle?" Jasper asked, looking closely between the two of us a small frown on his face.

Carlisle cast a quick gaze at his watch and nodded before escorting me out of the kitchen and into his study. Five minutes later we emerged after having him check the stitches on my wounds were intact and then bandaged them again.

I returned to the University grounds some eleven minutes later and headed up to my dorm to collect my books and notes. I found Charlotte a short while later in the lecture hall, sitting in the front once more and scribbling in her notebook.

"Sorry I'm late," I said collapsing into a seat next to her. I heaved a heavy sigh of relief to find that not one scratch was on her, she looked up eye brows raised, a slightly resigned expression on her face.

"They've discharged you already?" she asked surprised.

"Yes, I didn't have any serious injuries so…"

"It's a little strange, because I called the hospital first thing this morning, and they said nobody called Bella or Isabella Swan had been admitted."

_Rats! How was I going to explain my way out of this one? _I though keeping my face concealed in my bag to avoid Charlotte's gaze, which was no doubt furious.

"Oh really, that's weird," I said lamely.

"You didn't go to the hospital did you," Charlotte stated folding her arms.

I bit my lip and shook my head, feeling immensely guilty.

"You were with them weren't you?" Charlotte said and I knew exactly that the _them_ she was referring to was the Cullens.

"Yes, I stayed at their house last night."

"You stayed at Professor Cullen's house!" Charlotte said in a loud whisper.

"Sshh! Keep your voice down," I said looking around and hoping nobody had over heard. "I didn't much of a choice. Carlisle said I…"

"What is it with you and Carlisle, everything he says and does around here seems to revolve around you and you alone," Charlotte snapped. "Are you trying to get expelled Bella?!"

"Charlotte, it was just as a safety precaution."

"You get attacked by a bunch of weirdos and end up staying at your lecturer's house. How is that a safety precaution?"

"He's not the only one living there you know. Alice and Jasper are staying there and…" I began to understand how the whole situation looked in Charlotte's eyes and I tried hard to keep my face passive.

"Why do I get the feeling you're not telling me something?" she interrupted.

"You think I'm having an affair with Carlisle?"

Charlotte shrugged and turned her gaze up to the chalkboard where the English Lecturer, Dr. Rimsky was now scribbling details of the latest piece we were working now.

"You know it is possible for two people of the opposite sex to be friends Charlotte," I whispered frantically.

"I never said it wasn't, but the whole thing is different in your case," she said without looking at me. "And I think that the Cullens have more to do with these attacks then you're letting on. Why is it that they always seem to be around when they happen, and why are you always their main priority?"

"I have no idea, why don't you ask them and find out," I said cooly, too preoccupied with thoughts of Laurent and the Volturi to give much though on to the poetry we were discussing or on Charlotte's suspicions. One of her main flaws was jumping to the wrong conclusions, but in this case, she was on to something. Perhaps she had heard the fight been Jasper and the other vampires.

"Okay everybody." Doctor Rimsky's voice rang out across the hall as the whispering and scraping of chair legs on the fall fell silent. All eyes fixed upon her figure, dressed in a long crushed silk black skirt with a purple corset top and many beads hung from her neck, the bubblegum pink of her curls shimmered in the florescent lighting of the lecture hall.

"So today I want to talk about Allan Poe a little bit just briefly run through a couple of his poems and then we'll move on the Jane Austen, and finish up with Stoker."

Switching on my voice recorder, and settling back in my seat determined to be engrossed in this lesson, and forget the past events of the hours before.

An hour later, the class emerged slightly dazed after the period of literature discussion, students chattering excitedly about holidays and the lesson plan. Charlotte walking beside me, the cold air greeted us and the sky definitely had a hint of snow clouds drifting innocently across campus. Most of the class were heading off campus to get lunch before the next session of lecturers and tutorials. I remained on Campus for the entire afternoon and avoided mentioning the Cullens to Charlotte, keeping the conversation firmly away from the subject, although yet again I was forced to lie when asked about my Christmas plans mentioning something about staying with my mom in Jacksonville.

The previous argument had been forgotten and Charlotte no longer held suspicions, that is until we entered the hall for the psychology tutorial and found the platinum blond vampire smiling as I walked to my seat. I felt Charlotte's eyes cast him a dark look before settling beside me.

"Coincidence?" she whispered as I pulled out my folder and a pen.

"He is the reserve tutor Charlotte."

"Okay so today we will be discussing Freud and Fairy tales," Carlisle said clicking the remote of the projection screen just above the black board and revealing the familiar Disney character of Snow White.

Charlotte's reign of suspicion over the matter of my relationship with the Cullens didn't last long. The reason for this might have been due to Alice and Rosalie spending a lot more time with the both of us than usual, inviting us out shopping, to the movie theater and to lunch. Over a week and a half had passed since the attack and everything seemed normal, no more disappearances which afar from making the Cullens relax made them more suspicious. And as time went on I couldn't help but feel that they were keeping things from me, on frequent occasions I would find Jasper, Carlisle and Emmett talking in hurried whispers. Alice was behaving in a more than weird manner towards me and Rosalie was spending more time with me than usual.

The only regular periods I had was when Carlisle called me into his office on campus during his weekly lecturing sessions; it was so easy to talk to him about everything and anything. For hours we would sit and talk about a variety of topics that even I didn't know I had any interest in. It was like being with my old best friend again and in all honestly I was glad of it.

"You do realize that I will never be able to read Beauty and the Beast again," I said to him one evening as I sat in his study and lazily laying back on the small couch.

"Are you afraid of broadening your mind Isabella?" Carlisle asked with a bemused grin as he browsed his ceiling high bookshelf.

"Only when it comes to mixing up Freud's insane theories with fairy tales."

Carlisle chuckled and pulled a book out of the top shelf examining it closely. "Well if you don't like fairy tales I could always try another literary genre…" he said flicking through the pages. "How about Jane Eyre, I think Freud would have a lot to say about Mr. Rochester…"

I groaned and buried my face in a pillow. "Please don't," I said with my voice slightly muffled. "I happen to like that story."

"And you think psychoanalysis of them is wrong?" he asked moving towards me with inhuman speed.

"It ruins the beauty of a fictional story, when you put it under a microscope all the wonderful qualities it possesses are destroyed." I said averting my eyes to the pillows on the couch as he sat beside me.

"It makes it all too real." he said carefully.

I nodded and looked silently around at the clock that read nine forty-five. I knew it wouldn't look every good to be caught with a professor after hours. And there were already some suspicions arising.

"I've gotten be heading back or else Charlotte will start making silly assumptions again," I said getting to my feet and walking over to collect my bag.

"What assumptions has your friend been making?" Carlisle asked as he walked me over to the door.

"She thinks we're sleeping together," I said before I could stop myself. _Damn did I just say that out loud?_

Carlisle chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "A typical assumption to make, I guess."

"You're not helping though, keeping me after class to talk to me and constantly appearing around campus. She is bound to be suspicious."

Carlisle nodded thoughtfully. "I always had the impression that you didn't care what other people thought of you."

I shrugged still being unable to resist staring into his frustratingly handsome face. "I don't, unless it tarnishes my reputation here or else threatens to ruin my education."

"Ruin your education?" He was definitely holding back a grin now.

"Rumors about me having secret affairs with lecturers doesn't go down too well here at MIT, three people were expelled last year for being involved with their class professors," I said in a slightly raised voice, and became so distracted by his expression that a few books slipped out of my bag and on to the floor with a thud.

"But we're not having an affair Bella," he added strolling over to help me, kneeing down and examining my old copy of _Dracula By Bram Stoker._

"Yes I know that, but you can see how it looks to everyone else. I rarely hang out with anyone other than Charlotte since I arrived here. Nobody has even seen me with a guy before and then you show up. I'm sure you can imagine the thoughts people will have," I said taking the book from him and stuffing it back into my bag.

"If you feel that way then I won't see outside class any more…" he said taking hold of my hands helping me stand effortlessly, his eyes fixed upon mine.

"No, we can still hang out just not on campus that's all." I felt the breath catch in my chest as I looked at him.

Carlisle nodded and opened the door for me leaving enough space for me to step out. "Emmett will be on watch tonight, and if you ever need anything…"

"I know where to find you." I finished his sentence with a smile. "Good Night."

"Bella," he called as I stepped out into the cold air. There were flakes of snow slowly falling upon the ground that crunched beneath my feet.

"Yes?"

"Since your spending Christmas with us, make sure you have your passport ready." And with a small wink Carlisle closed the door, and I walked away towards my dorm, feeling slightly perplexed and just a tiny bit excited.

~To be continued.


	7. Chapter 7 Ignorance & Ice

Hello everyone! I hope your all having a good weekend. I want to thank you again for your comments and reviews, your all fantastic and help me so much in writing this. Plus all the subscribers to this story, I am very grateful to you all and to be honest I cannot believe I have so many. Cyber hugs for you all!

A few notes on this chapter, it is the longest I have written, word count at over 6500. It took me all week to write weirdly enough.

I hope you all like it and leave my comments or reviews you have about it, I appreciate every one of them.

* * *

_**Chapter 7**_

**Chemistry**

**EDITED: 04/23/2010**

The rest of the week flowed unnaturally quickly; it was as if time had decided to accelerate more noticeably than usual. Almost all of the final lectures had consisted of vague ramblings about examination tips. I had been glad for them to be honest. It was a welcome distraction from the Cullens or to be more specific, one particular Cullen. I tried to ignore him, to forget the fact that Carlisle was here. Yet every time I turned a corner there he was watching me, like some sort of annoying policeman or something of that kind.

Charlotte noticed this as well and had continued to make frequent remarks about how attentive he was towards me. I didn't like it, nor did I like the fact that every time my eyes met his, my cheeks would burn bright scarlet. Why was this happening? Did I have a damned fatality towards vampires or something? Could it be that their attractive nature had reached such a point where the Cullen Patriarch had become the main source of distraction? Yet none of the other Cullens seem to mind much; Alice was relatively upbeat, even chipper about the fact that I was spending more and more time with Carlisle.

_"You've always had a lot in common Bella, even when you were in high school." Alice had told me one evening when I had been over at their house with Charlotte. "I don't see why its weird at all. I mean Carlisle has always been very fond of you." _

It didn't help that my English Literature lectures consisted of a highly elevated Doctor Rimsky continuously going on about the symbolism in Dracula, and how he was the Victorian icon for lust and rebellion. Just what I needed, another reason to think of vampires in a more than virtuous manner.

_More sexual connotations towards Vampires, excellent_.

"The question we must ask ourselves is why, despite the evil characteristics and the dark demonic nature he possesses, is Dracula, or any vampire in general, symbolized as a timeless romantic icon?"

"Because vampires are the ultimate bad boys," Charlotte said with her hand held high in the air. I raised my eye brows at her more than eager expression.

_Bad boys? This was becoming beyond trivial now._

"True, but why are we so fascinated with the bad boy aura. Any ideas Ms Swan?" Doctor Rimsky asked looking over at me and smiling.

_Oh Brilliant, out of everyone in the whole class you had to ask me? _

I snapped my head up to stare at the professor, and tried to maintain a bored expression.

"Because in the Victorian era, there was a great of oppression in women, particularly from society and the image of a non-conformist eternally good-looking guy is their escape. Plus it symbolizes a woman's constant desire to reform the man they are with, trying to make him a better person."

_Carlisle would have been around in the Victorian era, I wonder what he would make of this.  
_

Doctor Rimsky smiled and nodded. "Exactly, this theme is seen in many other novels of a similar genre; Pride & prejudice with Mr. Wickham, Wuthering Heights with Heathcliffe, and even in modern novels like Gone with the Wind." Her eyes fell upon me with a satisfied expression on her face. "In Wuthering Heights, Isabella tries and fails to tame Heathcliffe, for instance."

"Wouldn't you agree professor," Charlotte began having paused her frantic scribbling. "That the Vampires are more stable in the way they possess the ability to commit and to find their true love. The idea of eternal love and devotion is surely a major influential factor into the attraction."

"I respectfully disagree," I interjected suddenly before I could stop myself, a brief image of Edward had come into my mind at that moment, the tone of his voice and his actions of eternal devotion and love. He had thrown everything away based on what he thought was right, without even taking what I wanted in to consideration. It had always been a one sided relationship, one were he had held the higher power.

The professor raised her eyebrows at me as I shook away the memories from my mind. "Vampires are chancers; they take advantage just like any other guy. And then when they are done with you they abandon you. I mean look at Dracula and Lucy, or Dorian Gray and Sybil Vane." Charlotte rolled her eyes and cast a glance from the lecturer to me.

The rest of the class had erupted into mutterings.

"Well that's the whole essence of them being the bad guy," Charlotte said as though it was common sense. "We want to reform them and make them see how good they can be."

"There are good Vampires. They see themselves as damned souls and hence they feel that they're bringing selfish cruelty upon humans and the females they associate with," I muttered coolly.

Half the class and indeed the professor were laughing; Charlotte raised her eyebrows slightly bemused.

"Good vampires Ms Swan? Where have you ever seen a decent vampire?"

_Damn why can't I keep my mouth shut? Okay think of a fictional good vampire. Oh yeah, wait, there aren't any_.

I thought shrugging and looking towards the window in an offhand fashion, if Alice could see this now, I would be my life saving she would be grinning from ear to ear.

"Louis wasn't that evil in Interview with a Vampire," I said lamely.

"I wouldn't call him good though," Doctor Rimsky said smirking and turning to write on the chalkboard again. "He did turn an innocent girl into a vampire, a mere child."

"But she was dying," I said earnestly, "No doubt Louis and even Lestat wanted to give her at least once chance in life."

"And damn her soul for all eternity?" Charlotte said amazed. "You can justify a vampire doing that can you, preventing you from death by turning you into a vampire?"

"Yes I can," I said firmly and thinking about Carlisle again. His actions could hardly be described as selfish.

"Okay, imagine you were placed in such a situation and you had to choose between dying and becoming immortally damned," Charlotte said suddenly. "Which would you pick?"

I bit my lip and stared at her for a moment. We were in dangerous territory. "It depends," I said ,carefully staring down at my pen. "Whether or not I had something to live for. It becoming a vampire would save those I loved then yes, I would."

I remained silent after that, putting all my effort into learning revision techniques and making as many unbiased notes as possible. Charlotte continued to dominate the session with frequent inputs to questions. Her mood had become happier as we walked out onto the snow-covered grounds, many of the students hurrying to collect their bags and depart for the holidays. This had been our final lecture, and there was only the exam revision and packing for Christmas to check off the list. I was somewhat dreading going back to my dorm and packing for tomorrow's journey. I still had, not to mention, the fact that tomorrow I would be going to a destination that was anyone's guess with a bunch of apparently good vampires, Good according to Charlotte anyway.

The frequent reminders of vampires were not unnoticeable in my current situation. There were a minimum of two watching my every step and maintaining my safety. While the other constant presence was beginning to irritate me with his ability to get out of bargains. Carlisle. I had spent the free time I had, away from classes or Charlotte, asking the Cullens where it was that they were taking me for the holidays. A growing feeling of unease was lingering in my stomach, triggered by Alice and Rosalie's satisfied smiles and reserved silences.

Carlisle had not helped either, despite the constant reminder that a bunch of revenge-crazed vampires were after me, and nearly half of psychology class becoming even more suspicious. He had kept his side of the bargain and not spent more than ten seconds alone with her, but he had taken up leaving notes on my seat during class

***

"I still don't understand why you are so defensive of vampires," she said attempting to pack her travel bag for a second time on the morning of my departure.

"What can I say, they're my favorite… fantasy creatures," I said offhandedly staring out of the window at the familiar figure of Jasper strolling across the ground, flanked from behind by Alice. As soon as Charlotte had departed for the station I would be off to goodness knows where with the Cullens. I had to admit that despite my nervous suspicions, a bit of excitement had begun to flood through my veins.

"Okay I'm done," she said finally, zipping up her coat and collecting up her bags.

"Are you sure you don't want to come? My families aren't that bad and we're planning on going to Italy for Christmas… Apparently there's this huge seasonal festival going on in a small village in Tuscany."  
I smiled, diverting my gaze from the window, and that uneasy sense of guilt came over me again. "I would, but I do owe my mom a visit."

Charlotte nodded slinging her arms around me in a hug.

"Take care of yourself Bella," she said pulling away and collecting her bags in one hand.

I remained rooted to the spot watching the door close behind her. Gathering my thoughts, I hurriedly pulled my suitcase from under by bed and grabbed my wallet, passport, iPhone and keys from the desk before following her out of the dorm.

"You took your time," Alice said grinning as I strolled up to her, Jasper lingering beside the trees checking the surroundings.

"Charlotte delayed me. And can you please tell me where we are going?"

"We've been sworn to secrecy," Jasper replied holding out a hand and relieving me of my bags.

"By whom, exactly?" I asked as we walked up to the exit gates, a pair of security guards were marching up and down looking for anything suspicious. They cast a wary eye over Jasper as he approached them. A few seconds later, however, they had changed considerably, grinning broadly and looking excessively relaxed.  
"I wish we could have taken our own cars instead of a taxi," Alice muttered looking crest fallen as a silver Volkswagen Tiguan pulled over by the sidewalk. "but Carlisle insists on maintaining a healthy carbon footprint. Such a hypocrite, have you seen how much fuel his Mercedes burns?"

"But it's a Mercedes Alice," I said with a small smile. "Sometimes style is better than substance."

"To be honest it looks too conspicuous to leave any of our cars in the airport garages," Jasper said, loading the already full trunk with my bags and climbing in after us, into the back. He directed the driver to Logan airport before handing him a tip and settling back in his seat.

"Where are the others?" I asked as Alice lay back again Jasper's shoulder.

"At the airport. Carlisle said it was best if he went on ahead and organized thing with Emmett and Rose."

I raised my eyes brows and felt the ever-growing nervousness upon me again. I had a sinking feeling that they might be going to Italy. A trip I knew I was not ready for. Seeing Edward would no doubt rekindle the bitter resentment I had tried to bury these past few months. Childish and foolish though it was, I was determined to avoid him, if indeed we were going to pay him a visit. And then there was Charlotte to consider; it wouldn't look very good if she found out I had gone away with the Cullens, especially our psychology teacher.

I watched the slowly disappearing sights of the town from out the window, lost in thought. What felt like minutes later, I was awakened from a daydream by Alice announcing that we had arrived. After going through the ever-tiresome process of checking in and security. I was seated beside the window of a vast aircraft; Alice had made effort to distract me up to the point of me not realizing where we were going. It was only when the pilot had announced over the speakers did I discover to my surprised relief of the destination.

"Serbia?" I asked looking at Carlisle who was sitting across from me, engrossed in the New York Times.

"Yes," he said simply, looking up and giving me an irresistible smile.

"Dare I ask why you're taking me all the way to Serbia?" I asked coolly.

"Well we have a small cabin there up in the mountains that haven't been used in a while. I figured its time to pay the place a visit. Invest some time in a little skiing."

"And snowboarding," Emmett called from a few seats away next to Rosalie. "You can't go to the Alps without snowboarding. It's practically a law."

Alice snorted in amusement, while Rosalie rolled her eyes and gave me an apologetic look.

"I don't do winter sports," I said regretfully, thinking that I would not have much time anyway with all the revision I had to do before exams.

"You will after this trip," Carlisle said, leaning back in his seat as the plane began to gather speed in its take off.

"Will I now?"

He nodded confidently, "I happen to be rather good at winter sports, and I don't mind teaching you."

Teaching me? Oh. Brilliant.

I watched the runway disappear from sight as the aircraft began to elevate and the cities below started to become smaller and smaller until they were only tiny dots of light in a pit of darkness. The sky looked oddly peaceful as I put on my iPod and placed my earphones in before lying back in my chair, enjoying the luxuries of first class flight travel. Before, long the music of Muse washed over me, sending me to sleep.

----

"Isabella?" A faint voice called, followed by a slight bump and heavy vibrations beneath my feet.

"Are we there yet?" I asked sleepy trying to sit up straight.

A cold hand brushed my fringe out from my left eye, I looked up to see Carlisle and I half jumped from my seat.  
"Do you often sleep through entire flights?" he asked bemused and taking a step back. The other passengers were already exiting the plane.

"Not usually, no," I said collecting myself and standing up.

"Only on flights to Belgrade, I see," He said smirking and taking my hand, leading me out into the cold daytime air. As was usually the case with long distance travel, I had no idea what time it was; then again did it really matter, considering the company I was keeping. Vampires, I figured, hardly kept track of time.

"Where are the others?"

"Gone ahead to get the car. Alice has collected our bags as well."

"So where are we staying exactly?" I asked, following him through the terminals and glancing at the signs that littered the outer building of Belgrade International Airport. The building had graying stone walls and wide windows and the thunderous noise of airplanes taking off or coming in echoed throughout it.

"Kopaonik, the cabin is in a secluded part of the valleys near the Josanica River," Carlisle said following the path that led to the meeting point where a black GL- Class Mercedes Benz stood.

What was it with Carlisle and Mercedes Benz?

"Isn't that in the south?" I asked, thinking back to my high school geography classes.

"It is, but knowing the speed this thing goes at..." He patted the stirring wheel as I settled into the front seat, the others had already moved into the back. "We'll be there no time. No doubt you're starving after flying for so long."

I nodded though my body clock had been altered somewhat by the change in time zones, I felt exceptionally hungry.

"I'll get a snack when we get there, I guess."

"No you won't." Rosalie handed me a large bag that turned out to be filled with sandwiches and an assortment of sodas.

"We haven't forgotten you're human," she added with a smile.

"Thanks, and you even brought a flask of tea?" I said unwrapping a tomato and cream cheese bagel.

"That would be Carlisle; he has a weird fascination about tea," Alice said smirking.

"Tis a curse of being English, and living there for so long," he said with a sheepish expression. "You would think after almost 350 years of being a vampire, I would have grown out of it."

"You're really that old?" I asked half disbelieving; he did not look a day older than twenty-three, none of the years had been reflected in his image.

"Well that's how long I've been a vampire; technically I have been around on this Earth for 366 years."

Moreover, that would make you 345 years older than me; you should not be this attractive, in fact you should be old and gross by now.

The thought echoed in my mind for most of the journey. Time progressed with the streetlights of quaint town streets fading into heavy dense emerald green forests laden with frost and ice. Alice kept up a long, descriptive conversation about the vast history of Serbia and its more liberal vampire community up in the mountains.

"They appreciate humans in a more positive matter, different than those you see in the states. Killing is always a last resort for them here," he replied casually.

"So how do they eat?" I asked, my curiosity growing.

"They take just enough blood to satiate themselves keeping their victims alive and able to carry on until they are needed again."

"Do you know any of the clans here personally?" I asked, thinking about the Denali clan in Alaska.

"Some of them yes, the Guthrie clan. They live near the Serbia – Romania border. And then there's the Csaba's, they were originally from Yugoslavia. Their members are older than I am, but sometimes one of them converts or turns a human to add to their group," Carlisle said, keeping one hand absently on the wheel.

"Why would they do that?" I asked, pouring my third cup of tea and taking a sip.

"To claim their mate so to speak," Carlisle said not looking at me. "It is believed that this lead to the myth of vampires being romantic and the ideal monster."

"We are, as the morals say, timeless sex symbols," Jasper and Emmett said together, both of them nudging their wives and grinning.

My thoughts lingered back to the last lecture with Doctor Rimsky, and a small smirk curled my lips remembering her more than enthusiastic manner toward the subject.

The graying sky began to darken once more as the hillsides became prominent with snow, the blackened out lines of triangular topped mountains with their rocky surfaces covered in a thick white blanket. The road began to become steeper as the car climbed higher along the curved, winding mountain road, a haze of mist lingering on the air as we traveled.

I lay back in my seat only half listening to the conversations of the others. It was difficult to believe that only hours ago I had been in my dorm worrying about Italy and Charlotte, it was almost foolish now that I thought about it.

"Only another half hour," Carlisle said turning at a fork in the road. We had turned onto a road blanketed in thick snow and lined with leafless trees, their blackened branches bent under the weight of the snow. It felt like we were traveling down a natural tunnel of snow and trees, like something out of a Narnia movie. It was enchantingly breathtaking. Time seemed to flow by more quickly and before long, my eyes caught site of a tall, dark orange brick and walnut wooden cabin. Its sloping triangular roof was covered with the familiar sight of snow and tiny icicles hung from the eaves like sparking wind chimes. Several leafless shrubs , their branches entirely white, stood by the front entrance and the view down below was of nothing but a deep valley outlined by the small winding road that we had just driven.

"Wow," was all I could manage to say as the car slowly rolled into a spot beside a dense clump of trees.

"Do you approve?" Carlisle asked, switching off the engine, and leaning back in his chair.

"Absolutely. When was the last time you were up here?"

"A few years ago. I had forgotten how beautiful this place is," he said starring at me.

Alice gave a slight cough. "That is a serious understatement," she added, leaning over Jasper to open the door. "And I told you all along Bella would like it."

"Yeah, she loves anything white and cold," Emmett said, grinning at me again.

Frowning in response, I hesitantly followed suit, stepping out into the icy breeze, my boots making a satisfying crunching noise on the ground as I followed Jasper and Carlisle up to the front door.

"Inside is well insulated, but it could probably use a blast of heat since it has been empty for so long," Carlisle said opening the front door, leading us inside straight into the living room. A white marble fireplace stood in the far corner littered with black logs and coal.

The black and white patterned silk carpet adorned the center of the room, a dark wooden coffee table stood proudly above it, surrounded by an assortment of matching armchairs and a long couch.

Beside the window in the far corner stood a gigantic emerald leaf Christmas tree decorated with white and gold with delicate snowflake shaped lights that glowed brightly.

I shivered slightly responding to the chilly room as Rosalie came in carrying the bags behind Emmett and Alice.

"Let me give you a quick tour," Alice said taking my hand and leading me to the back. "I'm sure the boys can sort out the luggage upstairs."

My eyes followed her to the narrow, iron, winding staircase that lead up to the second level of the cabin, the corridor visible from below as well as the an of wooden doors that kept the extra rooms hidden.

"I wouldn't think you would need bedrooms," I said following her down the hall and into a spacious kitchen that looked out over the garden in back.

"Bedrooms are good for more than just sleeping in Bella," Alice said smirking.

"So this is the fridge, usually we just keep blood in here, but since you're here." She opened it revealing a wide collection of breads, cheese, salad ingredients, eggs and meats. "I humanized it for you."

"How did you?"

"I came here a few days ago with Jasper to get the place ready," she said shrugging and closing the fridge. "And now for upstairs. Bathroom is the first door on the landing and your room is the last one on the left." I followed her up the stairs in silence looking around trying to take in the place at all angles.  
My new bedroom differed greatly from the one back at their Boston house, a wide double bed with a simple black and red floral cover; bedside table with an assortment of books; across my room and under the window was a table and chair. My suitcase stood beside a wardrobe near the wooden boarded wall. I exhaled slowly feeling Alice's eyes upon me.

"I'll leave you to unpack," she said smiling and half dancing out the door closing it behind her.  
My feet left the floor as I sank back on to the bed feeling the journeys of the last few hours wash over me; I was never good with jet lag or with long car trips.  
Unconsciously I glanced at the glow of the moon over the dark yet star littered sky, before I felt my eyes lids close and sleep come over me once more.

----

The blinding sunlight flooded the room during the early hours of the morning as I awoke feeling oddly refreshed; I sat up noticing that someone, probably Alice, had covered me with a heavy blanket. I quickly unpacked and changed into a pair of fitted black pants and crimson color sweater, brushing my hair into a more respectable style. Then I headed downstairs, the sound of the radio in the kitchen playing a heavy rock tune.

"Hey sleeping beauty!" Emmett called from the kitchen counter a half filled glass in his hand. "Are you ready for some serious snowboarding?"

"Give her a minute Emmett. She's only just got up," Rosalie said rolling her eyes and handing me a glass of grape juice.

"Where are the others?" I asked taking a long sip.

"Arranging the ski gear. Carlisle is planning on giving you some lessons."

Skiing lessons? Well at least I'll have medical assistance if I need it.

I nodded and headed for the fridge helping myself to a bagel and cream cheese. After a hurried breakfast, Emmett had half dragged me out of the cabin into the cold daylight; the sunlight set the sparkles off on his face.

"I do have to revise you know," I said to Carlisle who was standing beside a set of skis.

"You can still revise, seeing as I am your psychology professor and I do have a PhD in English Literature," he said with a sly smile. Emmett had bounded forward and collected his board and tagged Jasper for a race down the slope beside the cabin. Alice and Rosalie had already set off down the hill at a steady speed.

"You have a PhD in English Lit?" I asked incredulously.

"I was bored back in the sixties and needed a change." He shrugged. "It was pretty easy to be honest, nothing compared to say medicine or psychology. Plus I had already met some of the authors and playwrights on the syllabus."

"You-" I shook my head half disbelieving, in a lame attempt to wrap my mind around everything. Carlisle took advantage of my silence to hand me pair of black and pink ski boots and a matching jacket. Grudgingly I put them on half dreading the process of falling in the frozen snow, which I knew was inevitable. I had never been good at sports, the best I could do was run, and even then, there was a risk of me tripping over my own feet.

"These were Esme's, but they should fit," he said laying the skis flat on the ground for me to clip my boots into the bindings. Ten minutes later I was standing on the flat surface of grass covered ground, some distance away from the

cabin, holding tightly to my poles which were digging deeply into the ground.  
"Relax Bella; your heart rate is excessively fast." Carlisle said slowly locking his eyes on mine. I felt my breath catch in my chest. "Now first start with gliding and gently skating."

I attempted to follow instruction, half-heatedly taking each step at a time, using my poles for support. To my surprise, I started sliding and stopping relatively easy and by the sixth attempt, my confidence had increased somewhat. Carlisle moved me toward the low, sloping hillside its far edge lined with evergreen trees.

"Point your skis downhill, and slowly push off and head down. Push the tails of your skis outward and—"

"--And break my neck?" I interrupted, slightly muffled with my face half concealed in the collar of my jacket.

"No," Carlisle said chuckling. "Just point the end of your skis together. Bella, I wouldn't let you do this if I thought you were in any danger."

Easy for you to say.

I shrugged and angled my skis downward, keeping my eyes fixed ahead. I pushed off feeling the slinking feeling of the air at my jacket, following instructions and gaining speed.

How do I stop again? I thought watching the trees become closer and closer.

"Create a wedge with your skis Bella." Carlisle called from somewhere beside me. I shifted my skis too quickly and collided with the side of my vampire instructor. My hands left the clasp of the ski poles to catch myself on the ground. I fell landing with a cold thud on my face and managed to roll forward twice before ending up on my back. The snow now dusted my hair and in my fall I had managed to bring Carlisle down with me. And he had landed right on top of me.

"Are you alright?" His face inches from mine.

"I'm fine, it's just—" I began, trying and failing to avoid his eyes, now fixed upon my lips.

"You're sort of squashing me right now," I finished, trying to shift my head to the side.

"I should have let you practice stopping more before I let you go down steeper slopes," he said getting to his feet and holding out an arm to lift me up on my feet again.

"That would probably have been better," I said brushing snow off my jacket.

"Who taught you how to ski?" The question came out of my mouth before I could stop myself.

"I taught myself, seeing as I can't incur serious injuries I went through a stage of learning extreme sports." He smiled slightly and ran a hand though his hair.

"Sky diving. Snowboarding. Horseback riding. Mountain climbing and water skiing."

"Is there anything you can't do?" I asked, gliding slowly back up the slope with him.

"I can't sing, nor can I speak every language in existence in the world," he said grinning at my perplexed expression.

"I can't knit or anything artsy like painting, sketching or drawing," Carlisle continued.

"Is that all?" I asked raising eyebrows.

"Pretty much. Like I said, I've been around a long time to have plenty of practice achieving personal goals," he said with the brief hint of his English accent revealing itself.

"How many degrees do you have?" I continued sliding along the snow occasionally glancing at him.

"Quite a few, mainly science ones – but I did do one in English and in philosophy."

"Why? I mean if you already were a doctor why did you do anything else?"

"I was curious; and I was given motivation with the amount of time I had on my hands. I did not just remain in one section of medicine for instance.

I stopped suddenly sending a further scattering of snow around me. "What made you study psychology?"

"I attended a few lectures by Carl Jung back in the late 1930s. At Yale University, I think it was, he discussed psychology and religion. Two things I was and still am very fascinated in. That is how I came about meeting Carl Jung, actually."

"You met Carl Jung, the psychoanalyst?"

"How many Carl Jung's do you know?" he asked slightly bemused, keeping his eyes on me.

"What was he like?"

"Reserved somewhat, but he was a great speaker. It was partly because of him I went on to achieve a PhD in the subject."

I slide gently around in a small circle fixing on the ground completely in awe. "I love Jung, he's one of my favorites in the field of psychology."

"I've noticed. You're very in-depth in your essays about him," Carlisle said following close beside me. "You're not so positive about Freud though."

"That's because all he did go on about sexual desires being the primary motivational energy of human life," I said quickly.

"You don't believe that's so?" he asked watching me closely.

"Of course not," I said letting out a hollow laugh. "I'm not motivated to go skiing with you because my sexual desires have motivated me to do so."  
Carlisle tried and failed shamefully to conceal a smile and gave an agreeable nod.

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks and I hurriedly looked down at the ground, before continuing, "You're hardly motivated to do the things you want do because of this apparently dominant desire, are you?"  
"Well I don't count, technically, because I'm not human" he responded casually.

"You are, sort of, you just have a blood problem and the additional eternal life bonus," I said casting the end of my ski pole in the ground, making sketches in the snow.  
Carlisle chuckled and at this point I couldn't help but raise my head to stare at him. "You flatter me Bella. To portray our kind in such a mellow fashion. We have far more than a mere blood problem."

"And yet you conduct yourself with humanity and compassion, and not like some insane killer."

"Would you call a lion an insane killer then?" Carlisle asked, "After all we are no different from them."

"Lions don't go around hunting and killing for sport," I said quickly as the brief memory of James entered my mind again.

"That is true I suppose. I must admit that I have always wondered what Freud would have made of our kind," Carlisle mused, still smiling.

"No doubt he'd say the same thing, that you all revolve around the Oedipus complex during development, hence undeniably are attracted to women," I said moving my ski as I continued to make patterns in the snow.

"While all females are attracted to males because of their jealousy of the male phallus. Believe me when I say, that theory is completely rubbish. I don't desire men because I want something they have; it's so crude and shallow. As though all women are oppressed and men are the dominants of the species." I could hardly believe I was saying this out loud and to Carlisle of all people. Perhaps I had hit my head too hard when I fell.

"But surely you don't disagree that he lays good reason for females being attracted to males because of the element they possess that women want. It explains heterosexuality."

At this point I feel my cheeks go pink once again, and no doubt the color would be even more prominent in the coldness. "You think I unconsciously want to be a man and since that can never happen I'll just go and desire men instead?"

"Why else would you be attracted to men, if it wasn't for that reason? It has nothing to do with men being better than women or vice-versa for that matter," Carlisle said in a more business like fashion.

"Males desire women because they are a compliment to what they are. They have something we can never ever have, yet we desire it very much."

I pushed the stray strands of hair from my eyes, frowning slightly. "So you're saying that relationships are merely about sexual desires and nothing else?"

"No, but they do play a significant part in them. Remember Bella, opposites attract" he said carefully, his eyes at my lips again.

"Regardless, Freud is still wrong." I said frowning slightly and exhaling. I looked around the scenery, playing for time in order to come up with a better response.

"How do you explain the concept of sons resenting their fathers and daughters desiring theirs?" I asked finally.

"Freud was trying to explain to origins of male desires for females, and the same with females for males," he said simply.

"By saying their first loves were for their own parents?" I shook my head disbelieving slightly, this particular element to Freud's psycho-sexual analysis had freaked me out a great deal.

"No, I'm saying their first loves were for the opposites of their gender. When you're an infant you have neither idea about the concept of right and wrong, nor the taboo elements in life. As they grew up they realized their attraction for the opposite sex. And hence this went on further through adolescence onward."

Carlisle was right in front of me now. "Females always desire to have a phallus - an unfulfillable desire. So-" he brushed the remaining flakes of snow off my shoulder. "You turn your desire to mold your sexuality, and hence desire men for the one thing females do not possess."

"Is this your own reasoning upon the matter?" I asked tentatively. "That men desire the one thing only females possess?"

"Naturally." His voice was almost a whisper, he leaned closer somewhat and we stood in silence for what felt like an age. Before I moved away from him, slowly sliding past him on my skis heading up the final slope of the hill, he caught my arm and turned me round to face him once more.

"Bella." His entire body seemed to tense as he fixed a gaze upon me, it seemed almost nervous. "Let your hair out of your helmet to cover your neck and get behind me."

"Why?" I asked trying to shake his grip off my arm.

"Someone's coming and I'm not talking about humans."

"It could just be Alice or Jas-"

"Get behind me." I didn't argue instead slid silently behind him watching the disturbed clump of densely arranged trees moving, not by the wind, but through another disturbance.

Slowly a shadowy figured emerged cloaked in a heavy black hood, a chalk white hand pushing the branches aside. From behind another similarly dressed figure followed. At first I thought it could have just been the others, playing a prank or something. But when the pair looked up, their faces hollow and their eyes a pure crimson red. I felt ice trickle down my spine as Carlisle placed a hand upon mine; holding me steady, while crouching low as though waiting for an attack to follow.

To Be Continued~

---


	8. Chapter 8: The Liberal Vampires

Bonjour! Hope you are all having a fantastic weekend. This chapter is not as long as the previous one, but still some significant things happen. I want to thank you all again for the comments and reviews, I read every one of them and am so grateful to all your support and encouragement.

Chapter 8

**The Liberal Vampires**

"Keep very still," Carlisle whispered. I did so without question, this wasn't first time I had been in a dangerous situation involving vampires. The last time this had happened was during a baseball game with the Cullens when they were still living in Forks.

The sound of a twig cracking sharply caused me to jump slightly, and the systolic beat of my heart had increased frantically. I saw them; two tall, black hooded vampires.

They approached gracefully, setting the patterns of the snow that covered the ground into disarray. I almost held my breath as Carlisle edged closer, I made sure to keep close behind him. He pressed his fingers to my hand instinctively, telling me to remain still. I half flinched as the cold tips met mine, yet he gave no sign of noticing the more than strange reaction. The first vampire had lowered his hood revealing surprisingly pleasant features; he had a chalky paleness and burgundy colored eyes. His shoulder length, golden brown hair hung like curtains over his long face. He stared directly at Carlisle and then smiled almost in a surprised fashion.

"Still as defensive as ever I see, Carlisle," he said in an almost bemused tone, with a heavy accent that sounded almost Russian, perhaps with a hint of French?

"You're not exactly a welcoming sight, Emil." Carlisle coolly replied, remaining in a defensive position.

The second vampire chuckled melodically as he also removed his hood revealing a remarkable contrast to his partner. He had long blonde hair that was almost unnaturally straight, deathly pale skin, a pointed face and nose. He was taller than the other -Carlisle had identified as Emil- and more athletically built as though he had once been a warrior.

"You can never be too careful these days," the second vampire said, the crimson of his eyes darted from Carlisle to me. I felt my heart rate increase as a small smile curved his ruby lips.

"But on these circumstances. I cannot blame you for being… _protective_."

The first vampire in front turned and shot Vladimir a warning look before returning to face Carlisle.

"We mean no harm to you, nor your companion, Carlisle," Emil said delicately.

"I'll be the judge of that, thank you," Carlisle said in a deadly whisper, keeping close to me.

There was a sudden sloshing noise and a small shower of snow as four familiar figures appeared from the corner of the slope behind a cluster of yew trees.

"Vladimir, Emil. I though I saw you coming" Alice said grinning broadly as she came to a halt in front of them, flakes of snow and ice lodged in her hair.

"Well, well. Alice Cullen," Emil said taking her hand and pressing it to his lips. "Always appearing at the right moment." From behind I saw Jasper take a protective step closer, a flash of warning in his eyes as he glared at Emil.

"Might I ask why you are here? You're stationed across the boarder in Romania are you not?" she asked, pulling her hand away.

Vladimir flicked his eyes from me to Alice, the smirk still lingering on his lips. "Indeed, but we have been attending to some business with our contacts here." He nodded at Emil, whom was now slinking around, inching ever closer to me.

His eyes examined me questioningly for a moment until they connected to my own.

"Emil," Carlisle said coming over in a attempt to stand between us.

It was odd but I could have sworn I saw a flash of surprise in Emil's eyes as though he had failed at something. It was a most peculiar feeling, and at first, I wondered if Jasper was, as he often did in such situations, exerting his talents willing everyone to calm down.

"Dare I ask for your name?" he said in a silky tone.

"Isabella, but I prefer Bella," I said before I could stop myself.

"Enchanted," he said and before I could move an inch he had repeated the motion with Alice and raised my one free hand, pressing his icy lips to it. An electric shot rang through my spine as though I had been doused with cold water.

"You have excellent taste as always, Carlisle," he said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, flinching my hand away and moving to stand on Carlisle's other side, between Jasper and Emmett.

Emil smiled approvingly in my direction. "I think you can work that out for yourself, Isabella."

"We are not all dominated by vanity, Emil," Carlisle said sternly. It was in this circumstance that I understood the meaning of the expression:_ If looks could kill._

"Clearly. Why else would you bring your entire clan to the vampire county of Serbia?"

"The what?" I exclaimed looking from Carlisle to Emil.

"Oh yes, we are the ruling kind here. By we, I mean me and my clan, though we do receive some aid from our allies." He nodded to Vladimir.

"We mean you no harm whatsoever, as Carlisle knows full well. We value human lives and are not mere leeches that you witness in our kind, abusing their power in an effort to seek authority."

"Like the Volturi for instance," Alice said innocently.

"Precisely, I heard you're still on good terms with them Carlisle," Emil said almost accusingly.

Carlisle shook his head, a trace of anger and perhaps regrets flashing in his eyes. "W…where did you hear that?"

"Isn't one of your clan members currently in their guard? Edward, I think it was." Vladimir asked looking directly at me and smirking.

"He's there on business," Alice said hastily. "But that doesn't mean we're on good terms with them."

"I am glad to hear it. I mean," Emil said stepping closer to Carlisle and Jasper. "After what they did to your wife." He shook his head. "Simply disgraceful."

"If it were me," Vladimir said. "I would want revenge."

"Living well is the best revenge Vladimir," Jasper said before anyone else could speak.

"I do not intend to stoop to the Volturi's level in order to settle a score," Carlisle said moving him and me away slightly.

Emil frowned and examined him curiously. "Circumstances can change, but I think that conversation is best left for another time."

"Come Vladimir, we must depart and not intrude upon the Cullen's time any longer."

Vladimir bowed his head to us and took several steps back before saying. "We would, however, like to see you again in more mutual company."

"What did you have in mind?" Rosalie asked, speaking for the first time.

"There will be a New Years' Eve ball at my dwelling a few miles from here and we would be honored if you could make an appearance." Emil said flicking his eyes back in my direction.

"I don't think…" Carlisle began but Alice put a hand on his shoulder. "I don't see any harm in going," she said quickly.

"Alice…" Jasper said cautiously.

"We'll be there," Alice said giving Jasper and Carlisle a quick look of firm resolve.

"Excellent," Emil said before he and Vladimir bowed and turned, disappearing into the trees once more.

The tense atmosphere lingered heavily over us long after we had made our way back up the slope and through the snow covered forest back to the cabin.

"Those Romanians are a weird bunch," Emmett said as we began to climb the slope once more.

"Yes Emil was behaving rather strangely," Alice said conversationally. "But given the circumstances you cannot blame him really."

"What makes you say that?" I asked trying to maintain my grip with the poles.

"The Volturi frequently target them for their more than liberal lifestyle," Carlisle said focusing his eyes on the path ahead.

"They believe that Emil and similar clans of his sort around the areas of Eastern Europe are a liability, betraying the secret of their existence and generally going against all that Aro has stood up for."

"Is that why you don't like them then?" I asked quickening my pace to maintain level with theirs.

"No. It is only when they exert their powers upon innocent humans do I disagree with them, otherwise they are quite agreeable." Carlisle cast a quick glance at Alice who stopped suddenly, her face blank.

"Powers?" I asked, keeping a watch on Alice as she stared out in to space, evidently having another premonition

"Emil can hypnotize people," Jasper said calmly. "It's his gift and it makes him very dangerous. Just one look and he can captivate you completely and then rob you of any self control you possess."

I shuddered in spite of myself. "But it didn't work on me," I said.

"Interesting," Carlisle said looking at me curiously and with half a smile.

"Alice, are you okay?" Rosalie asked as she skidded over to stand beside her. Alice's nodded vaguely, a frown creasing her face.

"See anything interesting?"

"More confusing than interesting," Alice said truthfully. "Its all a bit fuzzy, give me a minute."

We continued to walk again this time in expectant silence, waiting for Alice to clarify her vision.

"Can I ask why you agreed for all of us to go to that New Year's Eve ball?" Carlisle asked unlocking the door of the cabin we had reached in a short space of time. I removed my skis and pulled off my boots before entering the warmth of the living room, marching over to the couch, and collapsing in the cushions.

"Curiosity and Vampire Balls are always fun; I bet the Denali's will be there," Alice said unzipping her jacket, hanging it on the rack and then zooming over to the couch to sit beside me. "And you surely don't think that they are merely having a big party do you?"

"They're probably trying to increase the size of their clans or something," Emmett said as he threw a log into the roaring fire setting it into a further wild blaze. "And judging by the way Emil was looking at you…" He nodded over in my direction. "He'll no doubt want to claim you in his tribe."

"Emil may be arrogant, but he is not as stupid as to try and take Bella with us on guard," Carlisle said from his position next to the window.

"Emmett is on the right track, somewhat." Alice began nodding wisely. "But I think there is more than just clan expansion going on here." She glanced over at Jasper who was frowning somewhat, and starring into the dancing flames.

"We think he and Vladimir are recruiting, building a sort of vampire army."

"But why?" Emmett asked smirking. "They own practically the entire region and have allies stationed all over the place. What reason could they have for wanting an army?"

"The Romanians haven't forgotten what the Volturi did to them and perhaps this time they want to get their own back," I said softly, looking over at Carlisle with a quizzical expression. He smiled and nodded tapping a finger to his temple.

"They do have a long standing vendetta against them and from what I have been seeing of Aro, the Volturi are worried about the possible outcomes that will lead to their almighty influence being crushed," Alice said, watching the flames absentmindedly.

"So they're going to try and recruit us?" Emmett inquired, smirking slightly.

"We are rather powerful and seeing as Emil thinks I want revenge against the Volturi after what they did...." Carlisle said, strolling over to the couch and leaning next to the armrest. "The Valhallas are always on the look out for new talent when it comes their way."

The rest of the day passed with further speculation and discussion over the Romanians and the Volturi. The possibilities of an upcoming war and the possible cause behind it.

The conversation soon turned into a heated debate and it became so intense at one point that I excused myself to catch up on some lost hours of revision for psychology and English. It was a harder than usual to revise, despite the peace and tranquility of the environment in my room. My mind was buzzing with the prospect of going to a Vampire ball, one I was sure that Edward would not approve of me going to. I smiled to myself as I thought over his reaction; even if he was in Volterra, I doubt that his views over humans and vampires had changed much.

During the course of the week I found myself wondering over the fate of my best friend; despite the enjoyable time with the Cullens, I did miss Charlotte a great deal. I was half tempted to call her, but there was the risk of her finding out that I hadn't gone to Jacksonville at all. I decided to put all thoughts of her aside and simply on concentrate on enjoying the holiday.

When I wasn't revising, Carlisle had insisted that I practice my skiing, which had improved a lot since my first lesson. I was no longer the object of Emmett's comical entertainment, having managed not to fall down once during my fifth lesson.

"You're a natural," Carlisle said grinning as I zoomed past him down the slope one afternoon.

"I can't believe I'm actually skiing," I said unable to suppress returning the grin. The sun could just be seen through the dense gray clouds and occasionally I caught a glimpse of a sparkle reflecting off of Carlisle's face.

"It helps when you're not so clumsy any more," Emmett said with a grin coming to a halt beside me and spraying me with snow and ice from his snowboard.

"Do you have to avalanche me with snow every time you come near me Emmett?" I said brushing snow off my jacket.

"It's all part of the fun Bella," he said winking and before I could even blink he had sloped low and picked up a handful of snow and showered it on my head.

"Very mature," Rosalie said shaking her head as she skidded over beside her husband.

"Come on, Rose, where's your sense of fun…" Emmett said collecting another snowball and throwing it at lightening speed in my direction. I quickly ducked as a large snow ball flew right passed my head and landed neatly on Jasper, who was a couple of yards away with Alice.

"You'll pay for that," Jasper cried kicking off his skis and grabbing a handful of snow throwing it back at Emmett who was laughing.

"Duck, Bella," Carlisle called from my left and he hastily took my hand in his, sliding away to the shelter of the tree to avoid getting caught in the middle. A shower of snow landed on my back to trigger much approved cheers from Jasper and Emmett.

On top of revision, frequent skiing sessions and the occasional snowball fight with vampires, I had been getting increasingly nervous about the prospect of spending new year's in a house full of estranged vampires, all of whom were partial to human blood. However, Alice had insisted at every moment of my mentioning the ball that there was nothing to worry about and she had seen the outcome already and nothing out of the ordinary would happen, except that I would be dancing more than usual.

"And you're sure I won't become the midnight snack?" I asked for what felt like the hundredth time.

"You won't be the only human there Bella trust me, and no," She said, quickly noticing the stricken look on my face. "Nobody, not even you, no matter how delicious you are, will end up becoming a snack."

After that I had ceased asking any further questions and I determinately put the prospect of the situation at the back of my mind

It helped that Carlisle had been increasingly attentive towards my exam revision, questioning me at every possible moment, teasing me with comparisons over Chomsky & Skinner's contrasting views on verbal behavior.

"You're being biased, Bella," Carlisle said underlining a quote in one of my practice essays.

"No I'm not. Surely you cannot deny that a large majority of Skinner's results were based on analogical guesses?" I asked coolly, scanning through a copy of B.F. Skinner's experiments on verbal behavior.

"I'm not. However, you do lean far too much on to Chomsky's side without acknowledging Skinner's ideas or achievements. When you write a comparison between the two, you have to show a mutual understanding for both sides."

"Even when I disagree and know from careful research to be incorrect?"

"Bella, you disagree heavily with Freud's theories yet during your essays between him and Jung, you managed to maintain a non-biased format. I know what you are capable of Bella and this…" He handed me back the essay, with a slightly more serious expression. "Could be far better, if you employ the same style you did with the other theorists."

"Well it was easier with Freud and Jung, both agreed that in keeping our shadow personality out of sight, not as an act of will but as an act of submission to that inner authority," I said lamely closing my book and beginning to touch up on my essay.

"The Superego as Freud put it, or the Moral complex," Carlisle added absentmindedly.

"A bit like the complex of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."

"Indeed if you want to put literary connotations to it. Can you think of another example?" he asked resting his chin upon his hand.

I paused for a moment looking at him, the never aging sight of perfection, no doubt bearing many fascinating secrets.

"Dorian Gray?" I exclaimed before I could stop myself.

Carlisle smiled thoughtfully, and our conversation continued more in depth upon the literature connotation within psychology. It was only when Rosalie had entered and started arranging large and luxuriously decorated packages under a tree two hours later did we finally stop talking.

"Have you made any plans towards what you're going to wear for the ball, Bella?" Rosalie asked after a moment.

"No, not really," I muttered absentmindedly writing in my notebook.

"Luckily I've already got that covered Rose," Alice said emerging from the staircase and buttoning up her Burberry jacket. "Get your shoes Bella; we're going dress shopping in Belgrade."

I looked up from my psychology book that I was currently scribbling notes out of. "What now?" I exclaimed looking around at Alice as though she was insane.

"The ball is only a week and a half away and we need to get everything ready." She said gesturing to Rosalie to get ready.

"But Belgrade is miles away and I can't afford to miss any more studying then I have…" I started to say and looked over at Carlisle, hoping that he would step in.

"Bella this isn't the type of event that you can go to wearing jeans and a sweater" Alice said impatiently.

"I know but…"

"You hate shopping?" Carlisle murmured, looking up from his complete collection of Oscar Wilde plays.

I bit my lip and nodded, before scribbling out an answer to a past exam question.

"It will only be for a couple of hours, Bella," Rosalie said. "And then you can come back and spend the rest of the day revising."

I sighed and then caught sight of Carlisle's bemused expression; evidently he was enjoying my struggle to come up with a good excuse.

"Fine," I said snapping my book shut and getting up. "But I'm picking the dress myself."

Alice rolled her eyes as she handed me my coat and beckoned me out the door.

"A little outsider input never did any harm Bella,"

"Bella doesn't need any," Carlisle said carefully. "She usually looks good in anything."

I said nothing and hurried out the door as quickly as possible. From the corner of my eye I could have sworn I had seen Alice shoot Carlisle a furious look before she and Rosalie followed me out of the door, slamming it behind them.

We took the Mercedes Benz down the Serbia's capital city and the journey took only an hour with Alice's somewhat manic driving skills. The town square was packed full of holiday shoppers when we arrived and, after Alice had parked the car in a secluded spot, the three of us made our way to Knez Mihailova Street.

"Okay dresses first and then shoes, accessories and makeup," Alice said as we entered a large store devoted entirely to dresses and gowns of the latest fashion.

"Bella green really isn't your color," Alice said a half hour later as we rummaged around the collection of dresses.

"Neither is navy blue, orange or lilac..." I muttered putting the dress I had picked out back on the rack. This had to be the most boring thing I had ever done.

"But red is," Rosalie said handing me a long flowing strapless crimson gown.

"That's too revealing, Rose," Alice said hastily.

"But Carlisle said she'll look good in anything," Rose said grinning in my direction

"Try this black one," Alice said coolly as she scattered an assortment of ball gowns on the rack.

"You do realize that you guys spend way too much time together," Rosalie said carefully watching me.

"We're just revising," I muttered, playing with the fabric of my dress.

"Have you considered going for a graduates degree in Europe, Bella?" Alice asked carefully, hoping to change the subject.

"Not really. I might just stay at MIT."

"You should go aboard. Maybe Paris, we do have an apartment that isn't used much," Rosalie said.

Alice nodded as she wandered into the dressing room. "France has some good universities and then of course there's Italy."

"Italy? Alice have you lost your mind?" I called.

"What's wrong with Italy? Jasper studied there for a while."

"The Volturi is what's wrong with Italy."

"Oh don't worry about them; Edward's keeping them in check," she said, casually running a hand through her hair. "And besides, it would be nice if you two were reunited."

"I highly doubt that," I mumbled.

"Oh Bella, surely you don't think he's forgotten you."

"What does it matter if he has or not? Our situation has changed completely."

The conversation continued in this fashion for most of the day in Belgrade, and I took extra effort in burying myself in seeking out clothes rather than taking notice of Alice and her oddly suggestive conversation. It was only as we were driving back a good two and a half hours later that she said something that had been haunting me for a good part of the week.

_"I still see you with him Bella. Like the first time we met, I know it is hard to believe considering what has happened. But I know he still loves you Bella, and once this whole vampire threat blows over, perhaps…"_

I had stopped listening after that, my stomach churning frustration over the whole vampire threat had become somewhat of an omen. Whenever I thought about it, it felt increasingly wrong to be human and so vulnerable. Alice's continual reminders of Edward did not help much. There was only one way that this whole issue could be solved, the one solution that I had been told long ago was impossible for me to achieve. Ever since I had been reunited with the Cullens the thought of becoming a vampire had reignited in my mind. This could be my chance to finally get what I had wanted all those years ago.

In a effort to escape to some quiet solitude I managed to sneak out for a walk around a secluded corner of the hillside. It was the first time since I had arrived that I had the chance to be alone. The ball was a day away now, and even more unease was creeping up on me partially due to the exam revision and nerves.

I had remained lost in thought for what felt like hours watching the gray sky darkening rapidly as I walked. The fading sun was now casting the white snow and towering trees into shadows.

Solitude had become a distant companion for me now, being around the Cullens again, nothing felt the same. Perhaps it was because I had grown up so much, no longer seeing them as being on another level. Carlisle was probably the most understanding, and through the time we had spent together he had become somewhat of a best friend to me… I couldn't help but feel a strong surge of affection towards him. Out of all of the Cullens I knew, he was the easiest to be with.

And in a few hours time I would be surrounded by dozens of vampires, non-vegetarian ones at that. A small smile swept across my lips at the thought of Edward and the contrasting environment I had been in before he left.

I stopped beside a small cluster of trees on the edge of the Serbian forest, and gazed down at the view beyond the hillside.

"Hiding away?" A small voice caught my ear from behind me and I turned to see Carlisle emerge from the trees, specks of snow on his coat.

"How long have you been standing there?" I asked.

"Not long. Don't worry I wasn't planning on pouncing," he said with a small smile.

"I thought you had gone hunting with Jasper and Emmett," I said, tracing the snow with my foot.

"I had, but I managed to finish up faster than they did and I decided to do a bit of hiking, lose myself in thought so to speak."

I nodded and turned away to look back at the view.

"Bella," he began walking up to stand in front of me. "Would you mind if I gave you a late Christmas present?"

I watched a small neatly wrapped box emerge from his pocket.

"Haven't I received enough gifts to embarrass me already?" I asked, watching him handle the box delicately. .

"You have no reason to be embarrassed," he said seriously. "Not that it doesn't suit your complexion," he added watching my face turn pink. Carlisle placed the dainty box in my hand, closing my fingers around it. I met his eyes questioningly, and for a moment, almost became lost in their depths.

"Call it a New Year's Eve present if you like," he whispered leaning closer to my ear.

"It isn't ridiculously extravagant is it?"

"Not particularly."

Tearing off the wrapping and removing the lid, a gasp escaped my lips before I could stop myself. The box held a sapphire and diamond necklace set in white gold; tiny square sapphires framed by diamonds.

"You're giving this to me?"

Carlisle nodded, modestly bemused at my shocked reaction.

"I can't accept this," I said tracing my finger around the carefully cut diamonds along the chain.

"Yes you can," he said coming closer to me and taking the box from my hands. "Try it on, at least."

I shook my head avoiding his eyes; this was too elaborate and unnecessary.

"Why is it that a man thinks he is pleasing a woman by showering her in extravagant gifts, as though we can be brought?"

"I don't think that, Bella. In fact, I think you are a very difficult person to please. You are very unique for your kind." He pulled the necklace out of the box and gently swept my hair away from my neck, tracing his fingers along my throat.

Another shudder rippled along my spine and I maintained my gaze at a spot between the trees, trying to keep my breathing rate steady.

"Yet you still think it is appropriate to give me expensive necklaces? And there was me thinking you were better than most other men."

He placed the necklace around my neck and fastening it securely, before turning to face me again, his eyes a darker color than usual.

"I am nothing like other men, Bella, when you consider that I am a vampire."

"That is no excuse," I said feeling the necklace along my neck, for its appearance, it was very light.

"We all have our little vanities, Bella."

I said nothing, merely standing and trying to contemplate heading back to the cabin and hiding away in my room. Alice would have no doubt seen this coming and I did not desire another indignant lecturer from her.

"I'll wear it for the ball, but then I am giving it back," I said reaching my arms around and removing the necklace with fumbling fingers. I carefully placed it back in the box and put it in my pocket.

Carlisle shot me another irresistible smile before taking me by the hand and leading back up the pathway towards the cabin. I glanced back towards the clump of trees, and for a brief moment, caught the glimpse of a bronze haired figure glittering in the light, looking directly at us. Blinking repeatedly, I squinted again at the spot as the figure turned rapidly and vanished between the trees.

~ To be continued.

Thoughts?


	9. Chapter 9 The Black Gardenia Ball

A/N

Hello, please forgive the lateness I have been swamped with College work lately. Hope you all like this chapter, I confess this is actually my personal favorite so far. Once again I want to thank all of you for reviewing and subscribing. It provides a real motivational boost during the annoying periods when I am out of ideas.

I have posted some visuals up on my profile if you want to have a look.

EDITED: 06/06/2010.

**Chapter 9**

**The Black Gardenia Ball **

The sun was already setting by the time we had reached the cabin again; I barely noticed it though. My mind was fully occupied, half in the long discussion with Carlisle about his many adventures in Europe and the other half dwelling on whether or not I had seen Edward on that hillside. _It couldn't be him,_ I assured myself as I began spooning liberal amounts of cocoa powder into a cup. _Carlisle__ would have caught his scent or at least spotted him through the trees; being a vampire his senses are more advanced than mine could ever be._

The logical thing to do would be to ask Alice if she had had a vision of him coming. But I couldn't bring myself to ask fearing she might jump to the wrong conclusions. Alice had been acting a little differently towards me and Carlisle lately; it had happened after we had met the Valhalla Clan. And since then Alice had not stopped trying to assure me that Edward was still in love with me.

It wasn't that I was anxious at the prospect of his feelings for me still remaining, on the contrary I found myself to be completely indifferent towards the idea. It was strange, but the deep hole that had once occupied my chest was now fully mended or else covered over with faded scars

I tried not the think about the matter for the rest of the day, which wasn't difficult. I spent the remainder of the afternoon reading through a couple of my favorite literature novels. It was easy to curl up on the couch with a cashmere blanket, a cup of hot chocolate and my copy of _Villette by Charlotte Bronte._ I was determined to forget about Edward and the upcoming Ball that I would be going to in a few hours.

"Still studying?" Carlisle asked as he came down the stairs a good hour and a half later. The sun had completely set and the sky was the blackest I had ever seen it, up in the mountains there was a lot less light pollution unless you counted the glowing moon and twinkling stars.

I jumped slightly as the voice brought me back down to earth and I ended up dropping my book in the process. "Nope, just catching up on an old favorite," I said stooping to pick up the book, but Carlisle had beaten me to it.

"Villette?" he asked questioningly, examining the book for a moment.

I nodded and leaned back against the cushions pulling the blanket around myself.

"Are you interested in exploring subjugation of women by society in literature?" he asked with a small smile, handing the book back to me.

I blinked and frowned at him quizzically. "You've read it?" I asked amazed.

"Once or twice a few decades ago," he said with a shrug. "It's probably the darkest and most personal of Bronte's novels. I never thought you would like it."

"I like to explore different aspects of literature. It isn't all about the romance between heroes and heroines." I said, shrugging.

"But you're more of a Jane Eyre type of person with the themes of independence, sacrifice and true love under any circumstances. I mean in your eyes I doubt the hero in this," Carlisle gestured to the book, "couldn't rival Mr. Rochester."

"True, I mean I wouldn't classify M. Paul Emanuel as being a hero, but he does capture the heroine's heart for the long part of the story," I said.

"What about Dr. John?" Carlisle asked, getting to his feet and walking to the window to close the blinds.

I rolled my eyes at him and couldn't help but grin at the mention of the other hero-type character in the book. "_Dr. John Graham Bretton, a __handsome, gentlemanly, young English doctor"_

I flicked through the pages again and contemplated my answer for a moment. "He's alright, but nothing really develops between them… and he doesn't change her in any way like M. Emanuel did."

"But the heroine does secretly begin to cherish affection for him," Carlisle said wisely, and I couldn't help but be reminded of my literature professor back at MIT. Why was it beyond easy to fall into an hour long conversation with him about literature or any topic in particular?

"Are we really going to have a discussion about literature?" I asked unable to stop myself from smiling.

"I like picking your brain," he answered. "And I can't help but notice that you seem somewhat anxious over the Ball."

I let out a heavy sigh and pushed the blanket aside, getting to my feet, picking up my empty cup and walking to the kitchen.

"I am anxious," I stated, watching him as he followed me in. I turned on the tap and began washing up.

"Nothing will happen to you Bella; I will make sure of it. The Valhallas don't have the typical vampire perception over humans so you'll be safe."

"There wouldn't need to be any protection if you just…" I broke off and turned off the tap, drying my wet hands on a cloth.

Carlisle frowned slightly and gazed down at the floor for a moment. "You want me to turn you?"

I nodded, leaning against the kitchen counter. It was out of the blue but I had been thinking about it for a while and it could certainly solve the problem of the threat over me.

"Bella you know that it would be…" Carlisle began but there was a sudden thundering noise coming from down the stairs and Rosalie came bustling in carrying a large box filled with what looked like shoes.

"Alice needs you up stairs," she said looking hurriedly between the two of us. "And Jasper wants you outside Carlisle; he's found something that you need to take a look at."

I let out a small groan knowing full well that Alice wanted me to start getting ready.

"I'd better go and see," Carlisle said and he gave me a pointed - _we'll discuss this later_ _- _look before turning and walking back out towards the living room.

"Why does Alice want me?" I asked as casually as I could manage while avoiding looking at Rosalie.

"To get you ready," she said with a grimace. "You know what she's like when it comes to dressing up."

I nodded and allowed Rosalie to take my hand in hers and lead me to the staircase to find Alice.

Two hours later the snow was falling heavily as the black Mercedes drove steadily along a narrow lane that lead up to a pair of wrought iron gates. From within the car I could see the wide circular drive way lined with towering evergreen trees. White lights had been scattered all around the outer fencing and in the far center, I could see the black outline of a building, with its wide windows glowing.

Carlisle sped through the barely open gates and up to a side corner some distance from the mansion , where dozens of other cars had been parked.

"How many people do you think are here?" I asked, following Alice out into the freezing night air.

"Knowing Vladimir I would probably say more than a hundred," Carlisle answered slowly looking up at the black sky with its scattered, diamond-like stars.. The pearl orb of the moon shone with an ivory glow and a lingering innocence. I pulled up the hood of my black, crushed velvet cloak as I walked carefully up to the double doors, making sure the ends of my dress did not drag in the snow.

The doors opened with a flourish and a smiling Emil, dressed in black suit and tie, greeted us with slightly more enthusiasm than was necessary.

"Welcome to Valerius Manor," he said leading us into an expansive hall, lit by a single crystal chandelier hanging from the middle of the white ceiling.

"You've had the place redecorated," Alice said with a placid expression lining her face, as though she had been here a hundred times before.

"Changes to the environment are often necessary," he said smoothly. I glanced around feeling an odd sense of unease come over me, whilst Rosalie cast a beaming Alice a perplexed look.

"Allow Alyssa to remove you coats and cloaks," Emil continued as a chalk white girl dressed in a simple black dress hurriedly down wide flight of wooden steps. I untied my cloak and let it slip off to reveal a flowing, satin crimson and black gown with trailing chiffon arms. The dress was lined with black lacing and was a perfect fit to my figure, clinging to the torso and then flaring out at the knees. I ran a hand through my dark brown ringlets cascading past my shoulders. Jasper, almost compulsively, stepped closer to my side as Emil fixed a gaze on my figure. I felt somewhat subconscious at that moment and half desired to put my cloak back on again. A wide door at the end of the hall opened and the familiar figure of Vladimir dressed in a black tuxedo emerged. He smirked slightly as he approached, from behind him I could hear the sound of voices, music, and laughter of the many other guests.

"Excellent," Vladimir drawled standing beside Emil. "It has been so long since we celebrated together."

"You seem to have pulled out all the stops this year," Carlisle observed almost suspiciously.

"A little extravagance never hurt anybody," he said fixing his eyes on me.

"There is no point in standing out here all night," Emil said and in a swift motion took my hand in his smooth icy palm and strolled casually up to the tall oak door. They opened immediately out onto an enormous circular room lit by candles and several crystal chandeliers. The floor was comprised of black and emerald marble, and many antiques of gold were peppered throughout the crowed room. At the far end, a large orchestra was playing a medium tempo melody that many of the guests were waltzing to in the wide gap left in the center.

"I believe the Denali clan is here as well," Vladimir said looking at Carlisle with a satisfied expression. "They were surprisingly eager to come."

"Interesting," Alice said, brushing particles of glitter off her strapless, light blue dress that fell to the floor. Rosalie muttered something about a favorite song and half dragged Emmett off on to the already crowded dance floor.

Jasper leaned closer between Emil and Alice conversing in whispered mutterings. I couldn't help but stare at the spectacle of guests divided into vampires and humans. I was secretly relieved that I was not the only human present, even though many eyes were focused in my direction. The tips of Carlisle fingers met mine shortly and I turned my stare away from him.

"Are you alright?" he asked, sensing my unease. I smiled and nodded in an effort to not only reassure him but also myself.

"Isabella, do you dance?" Emil asked, suddenly breaking off from whispered conversation with Vladimir and Jasper.

"A little, but not very well" I admitted, feeling Carlisle's grip tighten around my hand.

"Some practice is in order then," Emil said with a grin and without warning he took my free hand in his and pulled me away from the others and towards the dance floor. I cast a glance back at Alice who had put a restraining hand on Carlisle's chest as he advanced forward. I kept my eyes on them as Emil glided to the gathering of waltzing guests. The song ended and another, I recognized to be _Saint-Saens Dance Macabre, _began almost at once. Emil placed a hand around my waist and pulled me in closer to him. I looked at him whilst trying very hard to avoid his eyes. I placed a hand upon his shoulder and the other in his hand. Then, in unison, we moved gracefully across the marble following the music.

"You seem distracted, Isabella," Emil said softly tilting his head slightly.

"No I'm fine, just a little overwhelmed, and please, call me Bella," I said cautiously looking around to see where the others were.

"You have no reason to be overwhelmed, Bella, this will one day be a regular environment for you," Emil said with a smile.

I raised my eyebrows as he me spun around once and then pulled me in closer to his chest, resuming a steady pace along the floor. The Cullens, most of them in any case, were scattered around the place. Rosalie and Emmett were still dancing and even Alice and Jasper had joined in. Carlisle, on the other hand, was no where to be seen.

"What do you mean exactly?" I asked curiously.

"Your future is not to be with your human kind. You are far too advanced for that, it would be a waste to continue," he replied casually.

"Is that why you invited me here, to add me to your army and help you regain status as the chiefs of the vampires?" I asked suspiciously, leaning slightly away from him.

"I see Alice has filled you in, it was only a matter of time before she caught on." He sighed unexpectedly.

"This isn't just a new year celebration ball is it?" I asked him coolly, avoiding his eyes.

"No it is not. We are recruiting, mainly international clans, each of them hold displeasure for the ruling of the Volturi personally or professionally. We live under hypocrisy; the Volturi violate every rule of the world and yet are afraid of the world's tongue. Many centuries ago they destroyed everything we had, a yearlong war that was resolved with the death of nearly our entire clan and a reputation in ruins. Stefan and Vladimir are the only originals left in Romania, and every vampire you see around here are new borns compared to us," he said spinning us once more and dodging a couple dancing a cross between a tango and a waltz. The female had sparkling blue eyes and seemed almost memorized by her crimson-eyed companion, sporting a wavy mass of neatly trimmed red hair. I looked away quickly trying to determine just how many humans were there. I couldn't help but think of Charlotte's conversation during an English lecture on Dracula luring his victims. This was all too familiar; even if I was being closely protected by the Cullen's I still felt a creeping sense of fear come over me.

"I don't understand though, why you think you can convince the Cullen's to join you," I asked, watching him.

"They have grudges like we have, Carlisle in particular and of course Edward." Emil chuckled almost to himself as he led me along the dance floor.

I snapped my head back towards him sharply unable to look anywhere into his eyes. "What has Edward got to do with it?"

"I'm sure you know he is within the Volturi ranks at present," Emil said smoothly, watching for my reaction.

"Yes, but that was his choice. He can't possibly hold a vendetta against them." Emil let out deep musical laugh and shook his head bemused. I raised my eye brows and instinctively looked back to where Alice and Jasper were. They were still dancing and I couldn't help but wonder if they had noticed us in our progress. Was it possible for the Cullens to keeping something else from me, something more significant perhaps?

"He is only there for your sake, Bella, surely Alice or even Carlisle has told you this."

"No they didn't. But how do you know this?" I demanded.

"Inside sources within Aro's guard. Very useful spies, particularly in the build up for battle; we are learning every talent and weapon they hold in order to allow us to prepare." A satisfied smile curled his ruby lips and he leaned in closer towards my ear and whispering slowly.

"We believe he is there for your protection, keeping an eye on their activities whilst the rest of his clan maintains your safety."

"He isn't supposed to know I am with them. Carlisle said he wasn't aware," I said feeling a fleet of anger ripple down my spine. What else had they lied to me about?

"Judging by your history with Edward, they probably though it was necessary to keep the truth concealed from you."

"But how do you know this?"

"Our spies have several talents of their own and in any case, Edward has always been on good terms with us, even if others in his group have not." He glanced towards Carlisle who was engaged in conversation with a strawberry blond vampire and what looked like her sister. I frowned slightly as I watched them and became distracted to the point where I realized that I was no longer moving. The song had ended and I was standing locked in Emil's arms. I broke away from him slowly, shaking my head. A torrent of thoughts flooded my mind and I almost unconsciously moved a hand to touch the necklace that hung around my neck. Emil kept a firm hand on my arm and spoke in an utterance so low with that only I could hear.

"I can understand your resentment to this, Bella, considering the betrayal you went through."

"I don't care about that. It's all forgotten as far as I'm concerned," I said attempting to walk away from the dance floor, noticing that he obliged and led us to a quiet corner before collecting a glass of what was apparently red wine from a waiter and handing it to me. Moments later he had collected a glass filled with what looked like blood for himself.

"Yet you continue to waste your life away," Emil said casually. "I can see your frustration, being helpless and unable to control the situation you have been placed in."

I was only partially listening, my thoughts going back to the night when I had been attacked. Could it be possible that Laurent and Victoria had joined ranks with the Volturi? No, the threats were separate but both held the same dangers regardless.

"I can help you if you let me," Emil continued looking at me closely, his hand sliding down to meet my fingers.

"How can you help me?" I asked, frowning slightly.

"By making you immortal," he said simply, as though he was talking about the weather.

"And have me forever in your power, to become a slave in your army" I muttered taking a long sip.

"You have far too much talent to be a slave, Bella, the power you possess could settle the Volturis fate once and for all."

"What power exactly?"

"There is a reason why Edward could never read your mind, a reason why I cannot hypnotize you. Bella you have a very powerful gift, and yet it can never reach its full potential if you remain as you are."

His words certainly made sense, yet a part of me cringed at the thought of him, this red eyed monster, becoming my creator. As much as I wanted to be a vampire I wasn't willing to let just anyone turn me.

"And when you changed me, you would cast me in your army, to fight regardless whether I wanted to or not. I'm not going to become a vampire solely for the purpose of becoming a pig for the slaughter."

"That would not happen I can assure you." He leaned closer, inhaling the scent that flowed from my veins. I felt him push me up against the sidewall, his eyes boring into mine, yet they did not have the same affect of hypnotizing me like before. I raised my hand to his chest keeping him back somewhat.

"Isn't this what you want, Bella?" His hand reached to caress my throat.

"It is, but not by you" I said firmly. "Now unless you want trouble, I would take your hands off of me."

He grinned mischievously, revealing two sharply pointed fangs; I had never noticed them before, not even on the Cullens. "So you are saving your neck for someone else?" He took a step back to my immense surprise and leaned against the wall next to me.

Emil's eyes cast across the room to stare intensely at Carlisle. I followed his gaze and felt my stomach do a sudden somersault.

"You desire another, do you?" Emil asked with a smirk.

"If you mean I desire someone who won't end up killing me, then yes, I do."

"Ah, but there is so much more than mere safety involved, Isabella. I have turned many humans into vampires and possess great self control."

"Regardless, I would rather have someone I personally trust," I said stubbornly.

"Don't you mean someone who you possess certain feelings for?" Emil said silkily.

"What feelings?"

"I think you can work that one out for yourself," he replied looking over at Carlisle.

_Why did everyone have this impression that something was going on between us?_

"Carlisle and I are just good friends," I said firmly more to myself than to Emil. "And I would rather wait until after I graduate before I am turned."

"Well If you should change your mind..." Emil's fingers moved down my throat towards my shoulder and I couldn't help but shudder slightly at the cold touch. "I would be happy to oblige."

I pushed his hand away and glared at him furiously.

"Emil, you are needed in the library. Stefan has just been having a meeting with an envoy," Vladimir muttered gliding through the crowds. He shot a brief glance in my direction before looking back at Emil.

"I wondered how long it would take them to send him, pathetic though the gesture is," Emil said looking at me with a smirk forming on his lips.

"A compromise has been offered, but Stefan refuses to negotiate, and I confess to be on his side," Vladimir added coolly.

"We shall see," Emil said. "Isabella perhaps you would like to join me… I have a feeling you'll be very interested in the envoy."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously and placed my half empty wine glass on the stand near by.

"Bella," The voice was distant, harsh and cold. At first I thought Edward had returned furious at seeing me here amongst a crowd of vampires, one of whom had almost bitten me. I looked around to see Carlisle standing inches from Emil, reaching out a hand he pulled me to his side.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked, averting his gaze to me momentarily.

"Sure," I said almost immediately and moved to his side, heaving a grateful sigh of relief.

"You're very lucky, Carlisle, to possess such a fine young woman," Emil drawled, slightly bemused and looking at me with a pointed expression.

"It may come as a surprise to you, Emil, but Bella has her free will," Carlisle replied coolly.

Emil and Stefan exchanged looks before saying. "I will leave you two alone, be careful with her Carlisle, she's a very delicate creature. I shall never forgive you if you hurt Her," he said before turning and accompanying his partner across the room.

"He is the weirdest man I have ever met," I said slowly staring after them.

Carlisle narrowed his eyes and frowned slightly. "Emil has an odd way when it comes to females. It is rather disgusting to be honest."

I nodded and ran a hand absentmindedly through my hair. "Thank you," I said slowly. "For getting me away from him, any longer and I think I would have made a run for the door."

Carlisle nodded absently and looked around quickly across the room as though searching for someone.

"We need to talk, in private," he said suddenly, taking my arm and leading me hurriedly out of the room before anyone could notice.

"Where are we going?" I asked, slightly perplexed.

"Somewhere we can't be overheard."

We walked out into the empty entrance hall and up towards a flight of stairs, upon the banister hung my cloak. I collected it as we ascended to the first floor landing and, still holding his hand, walked to a secluded room straight ahead. It was pitch black with the only light coming from the moon shining through the partially opened windows at the other end of the room. As we entered I saw there was a vast balcony overlooking the garden and distant mountains.

"Put your cloak on," Carlisle said, letting go of my hand and strolling to the doors, opening them fully before walking out into the winter air, the snow had stopped falling.

"How do you know of this place?" I asked half suspiciously as I tied my cloak securely around my neck and lifted up my hood before following him out.

"I use to stay here back when Emil and I were on better terms. This was my favorite spot; you can see everything from up here." He leaned back against the metal fencing that surrounded the edge of the balcony and watched me cautiously.

"Indeed you can," I said, gazing down at the row of parked cars on the side of the building. "So what was it you wanted to talk about?" I asked attempting not to shiver.

"Emil. You seemed unaffected by his little gift of eye contact," he said slowly.

"It's difficult to hypnotize someone when their mind is preoccupied with other things," I said carefully, pulling my cloak around me, trying to retain any heat I had left.

"I'm surprised. I thought you would have jumped at the chance to become a vampire."

"I won't become one purely for the purpose of fighting in a war," I said icily pacing slowly up and down in a continued effort to keep warm.

"Then why become one at all?" Carlisle asked, watching me.

"So that I can protect myself and not have to rely on you or the others. It would make everything so much easier."

"You think by becoming a vampire the attacks will just stop?"

"No, but at least I can be in control of them, face them and finish them off so that they never harm anyone again." I stopped in front of him, watching his eyes darken even further in the moonlight.

"Fight them? Doesn't that sound a bit like war, Bella?" he asked, the corners of his mouth twitching.

"Perhaps, but it is for a good cause. It's not an attempt to simply become the biggest bully in the playground," I added, looking away from him and resuming my pacing.

"But it makes no difference; even if Emil wasn't building an army, I still wouldn't let him do it."

"Why?" Carlisle asked, beginning to pace with me, he caught my arm and stopped dead in front of me.

"Because I want you to do it. I trust you more than anyone."

"I am no saint, Bella," he said, gazing at my face.

"I never said that you were, but you have the most experience," I said playing with a stray thread in my cloak, a poor attempt at looking anywhere but at him.

"I will not be responsible for taking your life Bella; you would have to sacrifice everything. Your family, your future"

"What if I wanted a different future? One that had no limits and without this constant fear over my head."

"It would be cowardice to change you now; a last resort to a crisis. We can handle the situation and there is no need for you to be condemned."

"I already am! I have been condemned since the moment I met your family. James was only the tip of the iceberg compared to what else is out there. Do you honestly think the Volturi don't know about me? Oh no, hang on, you do know, because it was due to them that you came to Boston in the first place."

Carlisle looked away towards the mountains for a moment, aware evident he had been caught.

"It wasn't like that," he said steadily.

"Oh really? Do you mean to tell me that Edward didn't join the Volturi because he noticed something in their thoughts that connected my fate to theirs?" I said in a hurried whisper. It was time for some answers. I was becoming excessively fed up with new revelations cropping up with no explanation whatsoever.

Carlisle cast his eyes upward to the sky for a long moment.

"Bella I…"

"Edward told you and the others to watch over me didn't he?" I asked firmly.

"When I said to you that Edward was in touch with us, I was telling the truth," Carlisle replied looking directly into my eyes. "Yes, he is suspicious of the Volturi, and yes he sent Alice and the others to trace you. But he didn't want us to resume contact with you under any circumstances," he admitted.

"Then why did you come and resume contact with me?"

"Because you had a right to know. It was safer in the long run if you were aware of the situation," he said gently.

"It would be safer if you would just change me already," I muttered darkly turning to resume my pacing. Then suddenly, without warning, Carlisle gripped my arms with his hands and brought me closer, up against his chest. He pulled my left hand up to where is heart was positioned and pressed my fingers to his marble chest, where his beating heart should have been.

"Is this what you want, Bella?" he asked in a low, delicate voice.

"I don't need a heartbeat to know you're a good person, Carlisle. You're a vampire, a different species of human, with just as much soul and feeling as any human being. In fact, you probably have more than most humans on this earth," I replied watching light breeze ruffle his blond hair astray around his set features.

"You are deluded, Bella," he replied leaning in closer. I tugged my arms free and moved away from him to lean against the fence with my back to him. I shook my head slightly and watched the flakes of snow fall off the branches of the many trees below. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to take in the night air that possessed a slightly odd scent of vanilla and cinnamon. I felt somewhat aware, yet not in a fearful way, just in a more cautious fashion than usual.

"I didn't know you were such a coward, Carlisle," I muttered before I could stop myself. The whole thing was ridiculous; why couldn't he just change me already so that I wouldn't have to be protected all the time? We remained silent for many minutes after that, the only sound to be heard was that of the music coming from the party down below. My heart was beating at an annoyingly fast pace, mimicking the passing seconds with each and every thud. I felt his arms wrap around my waist unexpectedly and he pulled me back against his chest. Carlisle carefully pulled down my hood exposing my head and neck to the winter cold, and brushed the strands of hair away from one corner of my throat.

"What are you doing?" I breathed, trying and failing to break free of his grasp. His cold cheek brushed against my neck sending a ripple down my spine.

"Isn't this what you want, Bella?" he asked inhaling slowly as his lips connected with my neck and begun moving down, brushing my skin with his cold touch. My first instinct was to pull away, to go back down to the ballroom. But I couldn't and in spite of myself, I leaned back into him. My heart rate was picking up speed with the sense of anticipation.

_If he was going to do it now, would he at least make it quick?_

My thoughts drifted back to reality and after a moment I resumed my struggle to pull free.

"Hold on a second," I said, trying to loosen his fingers from around me. In the instant of wrenching myself free from his grasp, strong arms pulled me up against him once more so that we were face to face. His eyes were almost black now and I could do nothing but gaze into them, slightly defiant.

"I thought you wanted to be eternally damned?" he asked, keeping his expression neutral.

"Okay first, being a vampire doesn't make you eternally damned," I said firmly trying to pull away again from him. "And second, a little warning could have been nice."

"The element of surprise makes the process easier in some cases," Carlisle said carefully.

"You're about to bite my neck. I think the general process is surprising enough without you sneaking up on me with not even an inkling of warning," I said smacking his hand on his chest. This did nothing but cause a painful stinging sensation to erupt in my already cold hand. _Damn vampires,_ I thought, wincing and trying to shake the pain away.

"Bella," he murmured in a whiskey voice. His eyes seemed to shimmer slightly in the moonlight and it was as if he was watching for a reaction, the slightest indication of something.

"Yes?" I said stubbornly, glaring at the floor.

"Do you want me?"

"I – what?" I asked, frowning slightly and looking directly into his face.

"To change you," he added hastily, but I still felt slightly wary and it took me a few minutes before I nodded in response. The breath seemed to be catching in my chest through anticipation; all reason seemed to have faded from my mind as the vivid perfume like scent surrounded me again.

"Lie back against my arms, Isabella," he whispered slowly and keeping his arms wrapped around me to hold me steady. I obeyed almost reflexively, leaning back against his right arm, lowering myself to the floor almost. My neck was fully exposed, the blood cascading violently in my veins. I wasn't so cold any more.

_This is beyond uncomfortable; I hope he does it quickly._

I felt him lean down and press his lips upon my skin causing an icy chill to rush through me, and contradicting the sudden warmth that had come over me. The tips of his elongated incisors ran over my throat and I heard him take in the scent that flowed within me. I closed my eyes and waited; I waited for the sharp stab of pain and then the burning sensation that I knew would follow upon contact with the venom.

But it never came; he merely lingered along my throat running his lips along my sensitive neck. I shifted slightly and raised myself level with his face again; the tips of his fangs were only just exposed. His familiar golden eyes were now jet black, and I became aware that I was in the company of more than just a man, but a predator as well. I couldn't take my eyes away from him, and though my mind was telling me to break away, to leave the balcony and find safety, I could not.

"I can't…" he said in a half whisper, his voice deeper than usual.

"It's okay; I should probably go back down to the others," I murmured slowly and took a deep breath. I looked at the doorway and had the fleeting suspicion that something was going on downstairs. I had to get out of here; the situation was becoming somewhat odd in my opinion.

"Yes," he said, giving me the impression that he wasn't listening. I still could not move. It was almost as if my entire body had frozen in the wake of reality. My breath seemed to catch in my chest growing shallower and shallower with every passing second.

I felt my lips subtly part as I lowered my forehead to his chest. There was an unfamiliar fire rising through me, commanding me to forget every ounce of restraint or regret I possessed. Cautiously he placed a finger under my chin raising my face up to meet his once more, setting my heart to accelerate at once into a rhythmic thunder in my chest. He would undoubtedly notice, I knew it as our eyes met again, and this time I did not look away.

"You should go," he whispered, leaning in closer. His eyes were black pools of mystery. I parted my lips to speak and the restrain broke within him. Carlisle leaned down to capture my lips with his...

"Carlisle?"

I snapped my head up sharply and looked towards the doorway, for a brief moment I felt Carlisle's hand tighten around mine. I felt self conscious as I looked at the silhouette outlined in the bedroom door.. I stopped dead in my tracks, letting Carlisle's hand slip from my own as I gazed at the tall, marble white figure dressed in a crisp black suit that emphasized the paleness of his skin heavily. His eyes glinted gold in the dim lighting of the room and his bronze hair was set in disarray as though frantic hands had run through it several times. He stared at my profile as though at a loss for words. I wrenched myself away from Carlisle and moved backwards to lean against the railing of the balcony. A sudden numbness washed over me as I met the eyes of Edward Cullen.

…

To be continued…


	10. Chapter 10: Revelations

A/N

I know I left you all hanging in the previous chapter and now I will reward your patience.

Read, Review & Enjoy!

I want to say a huge thank you to everyone for reviewing and subscribing on my story so far. Hugs for you all!

EDITED: 06/06/2010

**_Revelations _**

Chapter 9

I could not speak. I merely stared at him. The man who had once been the love of my life, standing there after almost three years of separation. A part of me wanted to run at him, to hurt him and let out all the anger that I had kept locked away for so long. Another part of me wanted to demand an explanation out of Carlisle and the rest of the Cullen coven. Had they brought me here intentionally to set me up? Was the arrival of Edward at the ball Alice's sole reason for bringing me here in the first place? The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. Neither of us spoke for a good few minutes, and I grew colder as I continued to remain motionless. There was only one thing I could do at this point and it did not involve staying here.

"This is a surprise," Edward continued, sliding his hands in his pockets and looking from Carlisle to me with an expression resembling shock and anger.

I had to get out of here and, lifting up the hem of my skirt, I strolled passed the two vampires and half sprinted across the room to the staircase

I descended the final steps to reach the floor and noticed Alice standing not too far from the ballroom doorway. She was engrossed in conversation with Jasper and looking rather satisfied. My decision was resolute and without a backwards glance, I strolled past both of them and headed to the ballroom ignoring the pair of them entirely. Perhaps Emil could give me a lift back to the cabin I thought.

"Bella, what are you doing?" Alice asked coming up to stand in front of me and blocking my pathway. I clenched my fists and narrowed my eyes at her accusingly. She must have known what other reason would she have brought me here?

I had to calm down and not let this sudden and unexpected reunion -plus the fact that Carlisle had almost kissed me- unravel me.

"Jasper would you care to dance?" I asked in a tone as steady as I could manage, determined not to look back into the entrance hall. Jasper tilted his head slightly to the side, a bemused expression on his face.

"Is now a good time?" He inquired with raised eye brows.

"As good a time as any and I really feel like dancing," I said avoiding Alice's eye.

"Sure if you want," he said taking my hand and walking slowly over to the center of the floor, but not before giving Alice an _"I told you so" _look.

The orchestra started up another song, quicker in tempo with a heavy emphasis on the violins. I tried to focus on the music and on my feet as not to trip over them whilst feeling the eyes of Alice and Edward upon me.

"I did warn Alice this would happen," Jasper said calmly, lifting me effortlessly off my feet and spinning me around once.

"You knew he was coming?" I demanded, trying to calm myself down and focus on the music.

"Why else do you think Alice was so eager to come here tonight?" he said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I thought she was curious about Emil's army," I said grumpily. "How can she be so silly, as If I don't have enough problems without her throwing this on me?"

"You mean your relationship with Carlisle?" he asked as we glided by Rosalie and Emmett waltzing at a fast pace along the floor and continuously looking in Edward and Carlisle's direction. The pair of them seemed to be deep in conversation. I glared into Jasper's eyes and made an effort to tread on his foot, which had no effect whatsoever.

"There is nothing going on between me us. He's my professor for heavens sake!" I said half exasperated.

Jasper smirked and shook his head. "I can sense the emotions that linger between the two of you."

I scowled at the floor and tightened my grip in his hand, not that he noticed. "I was thinking along the lines of my final exams being next week and the fact that everyone around here seems hell bent on trying to distract me."

"Nobody is trying to distract you Bella." Alice's voice rang across the center floor as she glided across to where we were dancing. She gave Jasper a pointed look and with a sigh, he came to a halt beside a white marble fireplace where a blazing fire roared cheerfully.

"Would you give us a minute sweetheart?" Alice asked her husband, who nodded and hurried off to join Edward and Carlisle who were standing in the far corner of the ballroom. I turned my back on her to stare into the flames allowing the heat to embrace me.

"I know this may have come as a shock, but Bella ignoring the situation really isn't going to help," she said after a short pause.

"There is no situation to ignore. I'm merely enjoying the ball," I said coolly.

"You won't at least go and talk to him?"

"I have nothing to say to him, Alice. I know you and your _inner eye _might see the happy conclusion that once concluded our destiny back in Forks, but I do not. As far as I am concerned that dream died the day he left." I turned away to see his gold eyes upon me once more; I had to confess that I was slightly relieved that they had remained gold, even with his time spent with the Volturi. A sudden numbness was sweeping over me, as I stood not knowing what to do or say.

The distant voices of the guests seemed a million miles away to me. As if she were sensing my mood, Alice pressed my hand in, her concern lining her features with reserved disapproval. From the corner of my eye I saw Rosalie in between Edward and Carlisle, their absence from the rest of the party was unnoticed.

"I cannot believe you brought her here, Carlisle; of all the damn places to the Valhallas? What the hell were you thinking?"

"It was the only way we could see you again," Rosalie said attempting to stand in between the two of them.

"You know that Aro doesn't allow time for vacations," I heard Edward say coolly. "The Volturi are very demanding as I'm sure you remember."

"Nobody asked you to join them Edward," I heard Jasper say.

"I didn't have much of a choice did I?"

Carlisle nodded, casting a quick glance at me. Our eyes met for a brief second and I hurriedly looked away, feeling the blood rise in my cheeks.

"I am rather surprised that you're here at all. How did you manage to get away?" Carlisle asked.

"They're getting worried about Vladimir and Emil. Aro has been searching for a way to resolve this without a fight, and I was the only impartial envoy he could send."

"Resolve without a fight?" Carlisle repeated, frowning.

"Aro has his mind on other things. And from what I can see from here, he is not the only one." Edward's eyes flickered to stare directly into mine, evidently aware that I had been listening.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rosalie said, breaking her silence and following Edward gaze.

"Have you not paid the slightly bit of attention to Emil, he's after Bella and you thought it was wise to bring her here?" Edward exclaimed sternly.

"How else would we have been able to meet up with you?" Jasper input almost indignantly.

"It was too risky for Bella's safety. Aro is practically obsessed with finding her and now you've introduced her to Emil..." Edward broke off and I heard the distant sound of stone cracking.

As I continued to observe, I watched Carlisle run a hand through his hair frowning slightly. I looked on as Jasper circled around them, evidently aware of the tension. He looked over at us with an unreadable expression.

"He is aware that she's no threat to our kind isn't he?" Rosalie asked.

"Secrecy isn't Aro's main cause for concern over Bella at the moment." Edward said grimly.

"Do you think there could be a link?" Jasper said suddenly. "Between the attack on Bella back at college and the Volturi."

"Bella was attacked?" Edward exclaimed looking surprised for the first time.

"You didn't know?" Rosalie asked, wide-eyed at her brother's sudden outburst.

"Obviously I didn't know," he said crossly. "I told you not to resume contact with her Carlisle, it only puts her in more danger."

I leaned back against the shelf of the fireplace unable to listen any further. Alice gazed blankly back at Vladimir who had tapped his crimson stained glass to alert the guests to attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the midnight hour approaches, in about two minutes to be exact, and with it a new year," Vladimir called across the balloon room. "I ask you to join together in welcoming a new beginning for our kind." His announcement was greeted by applause and cheers from the crowd as a large clock was wheeled into the center of the room, emitting minute chiming sounds.

"Why are you two ladies in the corner?" Emil asked jovially. "You should be joining in the celebrations."

"I don't think that is any of your concern, Emil," Alice said calmly, casting an indicative glance at Edward as she spoke.

"Everything here is my concern," he whispered warningly. "I couldn't help but notice your absence, Bella. Where did you go during your time with the doctor?"

Alice shot me a suspicious glance that I returned with an unenthusiastic grimace. "I had a headache so I went up to the balcony to get some air, Carlisle came to keep me company."

"You must have been freezing up there," Emil said innocently. "But I suppose you found some way to keep warm, considering the amount of time you were up there."

"Wearing a cloak and pacing up and down work wonders in the heating department," I said simply. Alice had her eyes fixed intently on Carlisle, a frown creasing her forehead.

"Was it all as innocent as that?" Emil asked casually.

"You have quiet finished interrogating _my_ _mate,_ Emil," Edward said in a tone of pure malice..

"Just making conversation," he replied turning to face Edward. "No harm was intended to your… bride." Emil gave a small bow and departed back to Vladimir. Alice glared after him and muttered something that sounded very much like_ "manipulative bastard."_

My blood was fire in my veins; the mere term _mate_ coming from the scoundrel's lips increased my desire to give him a good smack. How dare he classify me as his as though nothing had happened over the past two years!

"Alice could you give us a minute?" Edward asked, his eyes boring into mine with an air of intense curiosity.

I gave Alice an almost pleading look for her to stay, but she merely rolled her eyes and began to walk away slowly. "Just don't give her the Spanish inquisition treatment okay?" Alice called back as she made her way to Jasper, leaving Edward and I alone for the first time.

"Are you going to run off again?" he asked in the same velvet voice I remembered so well.

"Are you going to continue referring to me as your mate?" I asked, folding my arms and scowling at him.

"How else was I supposed to get rid of him with causing a scene?" Edward asked, slightly bemused now.

"Threaten to burn down his mansion or something. Just don't start making claims on me like that," I said, looking away from him into the fire.

"Okay I won't, so long as you promise to let me explain everything." He said carefully.

"Explain what exactly?" I demanded frowning slightly.

"The reason why I left you for so long," he said placing a hand on the shelf of the fireplace and gazing intently at me.

"I know why you left me, so please don't trouble yourself." The memory of it was resurfacing before my eyes and the sense of numbness started to engulf me as though someone had released a toxic gas nearby.

"No you don't," he said softly leaning in closer a smile teasing his lips.

"Do the words '_You're not good for me, Bella.' _ring a bell?" I asked coldly.

He shook his head seemingly unaware of the many eyes that were now staring at us. Carlisle's were the most prominent, and he looked as though he was contemplating coming over.

"I'm a good liar, Bella."

"You also broke your promise too," I added only half listening. "You promised that I would never see you again. That you would never come back or interfere in my life." My voice remained firm despite the torrent of anger now pulsing through me.

"I was a fool to think that life could just go back to normal, even with our absence," he said regretfully. "It is somewhat of a miracle that you have survived this long."

"I managed to find_ other_ methods of protection," I said stiffly, glancing at the clock; only twenty seconds to go until the New Year, and starting it under these circumstances was not desirable. It seemed like a bad omen to be reunited with the past as the future drew ever closer.

"The funny thing is that even after I left, your safety still remained my family's number one priority. A few of us took up tracking, and there wasn't a single moment during our absence that I never thought of you."

"Why? From the moment you left my safety ceased being your concern."

_To avoid the guilt if I was killed by a vampire no doubt._

The thought echoed in my mind like the ringing of the clock bell as it chimed signaling the midnight hour and the guests began to count down.

_"10, 9, 8."_

"Bella, I can't live in a world where you don't exist. I told you that before," he said firmly, the gold of his eyes darkening slightly.

_"7, 6, 5."_

"That doesn't change anything, Edward. You left for five years and regardless of whether you still care for me or not, things cannot go back to the way they were."

_"4,3,2" _The crowd chanted excitedly.

"I am not going to rush you into anything, Bella. I understand that you need time."

"Too many things have changed. Time wont heal what you did," I said, glancing over at the double doors that were half open, Jasper beckoning us to come forward. I pondered whether Alice knew what had happened on the balcony, and if she did would she tell Edward, or ignore the whole incident? I felt the blood rush to my cheeks at the thought of it, and the cold touch of Edward's hand to my face.

"I think I'd better get going. I have an early flight tomorrow." I turned and began walking away, praying that he was not following me.

"I would like to leave now please," I said just as the entire ballroom cried out

"I thought you might," Jasper said with a knowing smirk.

"I suppose you want to leave tomorrow," Carlisle said cautiously to me. I nodded not looking at him. "Well, Bella cannot afford to be overtired for her finals coming up in a few days."

"Technically tomorrow is today," Alice said with a slightly satisfied expression on her face. "Bella why don't you ride with Edward, since he is going to the same place?"

"I think I would rather go in the Mercedes," I said casually, before putting on my cloak and walking towards the door. Emmett and Rosalie had decided to go with Edward in his hired BMW, while Alice insisted on keeping me company along with Jasper, who agreed half-heartedly.

"Are you alright?" Carlisle asked, keeping his tone as casual as possible as he drove across the snow covered drive way. Edward's BMW could just be seen following in close rank. I averted my eyes from the side mirror to looking into Carlisle face that reflected an image of silent regret.

"Don't Carlisle, just don't," I said placing my hand in his free one that rested on the arm rest.

Alice gave a slightly cough and threw me a pointed look before Jasper silenced her with a calming sensation.

"Can we talk later?" Carlisle asked in a quiet whisper to me. I gazed at the blackened road ahead of me and shook my head once. I couldn't... not after tonight.

Once we reached the cabin I did not waste time and headed straight to my bedroom. I kicked off my shoes, pulled the decorative clips out of my hair and threw them on the dressing table. I searched around my suit case and found an oversized band tee and a pair of sweatpants. I threw them on the bed and walked over to the dresser. I brushed my hair a little too roughly and cursed to myself as I pulled at the tangles. After a few minutes I made my way back to the bed, attempting to unzip my dress.

"Bella?" a voice sounded from the other side of the door before I heard a knocking sound.

_Go away Carlisle!_ I thought to myself and continuing to brush my hair. The knocking sound came again louder and more urgent this time. I threw down my hair brush and walked across the room to the door and opened it.

He was still in his black suit that he had worn at the ball and his face bore a very guilt ridden expression.

"What do you want?"

"Can we talk?"

"No thanks." I tried to close the door put his held with his hand and pushed his way in.

"What part of the word 'no' do you not understand, Carlisle?" I asked, folding my arms and taking several steps back.

"I understand you're angry Bella, but running away from the situation won't solve anything."

"I'm not running…" I began.

"Oh Bella, we both know what would have happened if Edward hadn't interrupted us."

Smack. My hand connected with the side of Carlisle's face. The action achieved nothing put cause a sharp pain to erupt in my hand as though I had just slammed my hand into a brick wall. "Damn it!" I said, wincing and shaking my hand in frustration.

He came forward and took my injured hand in his own, a sympathetic expression on his face.

"Don't touch me." I wrenched myself away from him and shaking my head furiously. "You set me up."

Carlisle gave me an exasperated look that reflected his denial of having done anything of the sort. And I knew deep down he had nothing to do with it; he wasn't the type to take foolish risks like that. "Isabella," Carlisle began slowly. "I did not set you up."

"You brought me here for the sole purpose of…"

"…I swear to you that I had nothing to do with his arrival."

"…Liar!" I turned and walked over to the door, opening it violently and walking across the hallway to the bathroom. I had barley gone five yards when Carlisle shot in front of me and stopped my progress.

"Where are the others?""

"Jasper and Emmett went out hunting in Edward," Carlisle said hastily. "And the other two are out in the back yard."

So we were alone in the cabin. Typical, I doubt he would have dared come see me if it had been otherwise. I glared at him furiously and made to push past him but his annoyingly strong hands gripped my arms tightly. "Where are you going?"

"I need some air," I stated struggling to free myself. Carlisle sighed heavily and shook his head. "You want to go walking around the hillside in the dead of night?" he asked with raised eye brows.

"Yes," I said, glaring at him determinately. I knew what his next words would be that it wasn't safe and I had to say indoors for my own good.

But to my surprise the opposite happened. He released me from his grip and slid off his suit jacket and handed it to me. "This should keep you warm, don't stay out too late," he said, as I took it with one hand, and watched as he turned and walked back into his room, closing the door behind him.

I stood on the landing for a short moment, gazing at the jacket and frowning. _Maybe some air will help clear my mood. _I thought as I slid it on over my dress and walked hurriedly down the stairs into the hallway. I slipped on a pair of snow boots and opened the door, stepping out into the cold night. The air seemed to catch painfully in my chest as I walked down the pathway around to the back yard. It was completely deserted and I was glad of it. A few moments of alone time would help. I walked up to the side of the cabin and leaned against it, staring up at the pearl white orb of the moon casting light over the ebony sky. I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply as the fleeting images from my time on the balcony rushed through my head. Carlisle's chest pressed close to mine and his lips mere inches from my own. So close to breaking a forbidden barrier that could lead to serious troubles in the Cullen family. _What had he been thinking? What had I been thinking of letting such a thing happen?_

I played with this thought for several minutes keeping my eyes closed and savoring the peaceful relief of the night. My mind drifted from the present and I remember the many conversations we had had, the closeness that had evolved between us since his arrival all those months ago. He had, despite everything, become more than a friend or a simple companion. The touch of his chilled hands along the bare skin of my upper back and the glossy black of his eyes...

"Bella?"

His voice it was oddly near, and I felt a hand close around my own. I inhaled that familiar scent of musk and spiced apple, my eye lids flitted open and I gazed into the radiant bone white face starring back at me.

"You've been out here for a while," Carlisle said carefully putting an arm around my shoulders and leading me back up the path to the cabin.

"I must have lost track of time," I said looking straight ahead of me.

He led me into the warmth of the cabin and closed the door behind me. I shivered as he pulled the jacket that was dusted with flakes of snow off my shoulders.

"You're freezing," he said sounding concerned.

"I'm fine honestly." I smiled.

"At least let me make you some tea to warm you up," he said watching me closely.

"Okay," I said turning and kicking off the snow boots before heading up the wooden staircase. I couldn't help but feel surprised that the others had not yet returned from hunting.

Fifteen minutes later I was fully dressed in warm pajamas and two pairs of socks, my hair looked less messy than it had before. I was sitting on the floor wrapped in a cashmere blanket and reading through one of my psychology books.

"Feeling better?" Carlisle asked leaning against the doorway with a steaming cup in his hand.

I nodded and beckoned him to come in. He was beside me before I even had time to blink and placed the warm cup in my hands, the contrast between his temperature and that of the cup was remarkable.

"I'm sorry about… what happened before," he said carefully.

"I know, and its fine. I shouldn't have forced you to change me out of the blue like that," I said raising the cup to my lips and taking a long sip.

"I understand how frustrating this whole situation must be, the threat of the vampires over your head all the time. It's natural to want to seek a solution to solve the problem," he said seriously.

"Is it true?" I asked, "Do the Volturi really want me for some sort of powerful potential that I possess?"

Carlisle raised a hand to his mouth and remained silent for a while. I took the opportunity to drink more tea and savor the warming sensation it spread through my veins.

"I'm not sure to be honest; Edward hasn't given much information about the matter."

"It's just that Emil said I possessed a powerful gift that could only be released if I was turned."

Carlisle smiled sadly and placed a cold hand on my cheek, caressing it gently.

"Emil will say anything to get what he wants."

"But this wasn't just _anything_ Carlisle; he said it was the reason why his powers had no effect on me, or Edward's for that matter." I couldn't help but feel that Carlisle, despite his good intentions, was hiding something from me.

"When I was talking to Eleazar this evening, he did mention something about your… potential. I didn't take any notice of it at the time, but it might match up with why Aro is so determined on finding you."

I leaned in closed and listened with baited breath. "The Volturi are always on the look out for new talent to aid them in their level of power over the vampire realm. Perhaps when Laurent and Victoria went to see them, they disclosed the fact that Edward cannot read or mind. I know that would definitely spark Aro's curiosity."

I nodded and felt slightly calmer at the prospect that the Volturi might not want to kill me after all.

"If what Alice and many other covens are saying is true than there could be a war between the Volturi and the Valhallas. Both of them will be on the look out for more talent to aid their army in a victory."

That certainly explained why Emil and the other Romanians were so eager for me to be turned.

"What does Eleazar say about me?" I asked trying to keep my voice neutral.

"That you're emotions are very powerful in guiding you and that you're very strong minded. I could ask him to do some research about it if you wish," he said cautiously. "He's the head of the Denali clan from Alaska; you might have seen them this evening."

I nodded, vaguely recalling the only other coven a part form the Cullens that possessed golden eyes. I drained the last traces of the tea before placing the put in his hand. "Thank you."

He inclined his head and made to get to his feet. "Get some sleep. We have a long journey tomorrow if you wish to go back."

"Right" I said carefully. "I hope you don't mind going back so soon?"

"No, it's fine, I think you've suffered from his weather for long enough no," he said slightly sheepishly. I closed my book and stood up pulling the blanket tighter around myself. "Thank you for being so understanding."

"I'm a professor of psychology Isabella; being understanding comes with the doctoral degree."

I grinned and shook my head. "No, with you it's all innate, the kindness and compassion you possess."

His golden eyes seemed to darken slightly as I spoke, and I found myself unable to look away from them this time

He walked up to stand directly in front of me and pressed his lips to my cheek. "Good night Bella." And with that he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.

I stood for few minutes completely still gazing at the door. I waited for my heart to stop thundering, my breathing to resume to a steady state and the tingling sensation in my body to cease.

~to be continued


	11. Chapter 11: Resistance

**This is the Original version of the chapter. For the past few months I have been working with a friend in bring this story up to scratch, that is to say, correct all grammatical errors and mistakes. Plus change the concept a little - the plot is still the same just that there is _more_ content. Let me know what you think.**

**Credit to Jules. **

**DISCLAIMER: I Am Not Stephenie Meyer, this story is based on characters from her creative mind and all i have done is experimented with the story somewhat.**

**_EDITED 06/15/2010_**

_**Chapter 11**_

I woke up late the next morning to find that it had snowed throughout the night. I glared out the window from my bed and was slightly worried that we would be stuck here for a few more days, but knowing the Cullens as well as I did, I knew that a bit of snow probably wouldn't stop them.

I lay back against the pillows and gazed at the clock on my nightstand: 8:32AM. My mind was still reeling from the events of the night before. And to make matters worse, I had started having bizarre dreams again, worse than those I had back in Forks when I first met Edward and the Cullens. These ones kept changing as the night progressed, each one more vivid than the last. Usually I didn't dwell on dreams but ever since I had started studying psychology my fascination with them had increased; I had even started keeping a dream journal. I would write down anything from it I could remember and then Charlotte and I would spend our Sunday evenings analyzing them. But I couldn't write this one down, unless I wanted to become a romance novelist writer. I groaned at the thought and covered my face with one of the pillows.

"Bella?" A familiar soprano voice called from outside the door. I sat upright and threw the pillow aside.

"Come in Alice," I said rearranging my face into a pleasant smile. The door opened slowly and the pixie-like vampire bustled in carrying a plate and a tall coffee cup.

"Sleep well?" she asked handing me the plate of freshly toasted bagels and the cup before sitting down on the bed.

"Yes, thanks," I lied, faking another smile. My eyes drifted to the cup and I frowned at the pale pink color of the liquid. "What's this?"

"Green tea with strawberry," she said smiling. "It's a great morning detox."

I raised my eye brows and frowned at her. "How do you know?" I couldn't help but be slightly skeptical of her since the only thing she could consume was blood.

"I read a lot about human nutrition," she said with a small smile. "Anyways I wanted to ask you something."

I took a bit of the bagel into my mouth, chewing slowly, biding my time.. I had a funny feeling she knew about the balcony and was going to give me a negative lecture about it.

"Yes?" I asked swallowing and then raising the cup to my lips. The tea was surprisingly tasty, something I had not expected.

"It's about Charlotte. I was wondering if you'd heard from her at all."

I took a long sip and settled my cup down on the bedside table next to my iPhone. "I don't know I haven't checked my messages since I got here." There had been little or no signal to speak of up here in the Serbian mountains so I hadn't bothered. "Why? Have you seen something?"

Alice nodded absently. "It was accidental, really, and I'm not quite sure how it happened." She shook her head. "The only ones I've been watching are the Volturi and…"

"…Charlotte said she was going to a village in Tuscany with her family." I said hurriedly, switching on my iPhone to check if she had messaged me. I knew for a fact that Volterra was in Tuscany.

"That explains it then," Alice said, biting her bottom lip and watching me closely. I scanned across the screen and noticed that I had twelve unread messages. _Twelve?_ How long had I been gone for? The first four were from Charlie and Renee, nothing odd about that. The next three were from Jacob; damn I had completely forgotten about him these past few weeks. Then again now that I was back in contact with the Cullens it was slightly difficult. The five remaining messages were all from Charlotte. I clicked on them hurriedly, reading each of them in turn. The first message was fine, just saying that she had arrived and was having fun. The second mentioned some event she had gone to with her sister, but the third alarmed me. It read:

_Bella,_

_Would you believe that I've made three new friends here already? I come here to spend time with my family and I end up hanging out with random strangers. I wish you had come too it is so much fun here. One of the people I met here, Alec, has been giving me a tour of the town. The history of this place is really fascinating; I know you would have loved learning about it. _

_I'll ttyl. Hope you're okay!_

_Charlotte_

I bit my lip and handed the phone to Alice, she scanned the screen once and her eyes widened.

"The third one seems somewhat suspicious, but..." she trailed off, sighing and clicked on the next message. Her eyes grew rounder as she read the fourth, and at the fifth she dropped the phone and clapped a hand to her mouth. "Oh damn it."

I snatched up the phone and looked at Alice as she sprang to her feet. "I need to talk to Edward and Carlisle about this. Bella get dressed and be downstairs in ten minutes." She was half way out the door before she finished her sentence.

"Wait Alice." I threw the covers aside and stood up looking at her stricken face. "What's going on?"

"Just get ready Bella, I can't say anything yet." And she hurried out of the room.

I ran a hand through my hair and exhaled. I was nervous to read the rest of Charlotte's messages, but not enough to kill my curiosity, especially if it could shed some light on Alice's swift departure. .

The fourth message read:

_Bella,_

_Would you believe that there is a castle here in Volterra? I couldn't stop asking Alec and Felix questions about it during lunch. And I kept mentioning how you love old historic buildings. Felix was growing more interested by the second. It is so weird how your name sparks curiosity in people everywhere I go. I wonder is there something you're not telling me?_

_Well whatever the reason I hope you're having fun where you are._

_I'd better go, Heidi, that's Alec's cousin, is planning on taking us on a tour around the castle._

_Lots of Love_

_Charlotte_

So she was in Volterra? Of all villages in Italy it had to be there. I scowled at the floor for a moment, feeling a horrible sickening sensation building up in my stomach. Alec and Felix? Why did those names sent off a loud alarm bell in my mind? I wrecked my brains trying to remember as I put the phone down on the dressing table and ran to my suitcase to find a change of clothes. I pulled out black jeans and a random hooded sweater, putting them on quickly. I was half way through brushing my hair when a vivid voice echoed in my ears.

_"Be gentle with her Felix," I_ gazed down at my wrists, both of which were scarred with a deep set line were they had been slashed.

_"Can you imagine if we told Edward about this Alec?"_

Oh dear lord no. I threw the brush down and picked up my iPhone scanning across the screen to read the final message and my blood ran cold.

_Bella,_

_I know this is going to sound weird or whatever, but you're my best friend and I love you. This might be the last thing I write but I needed to tell you. _

_STAY AWAY FROM THE CULLENS!_

_Charlotte_

I shut my phone off and slide it into my jeans pocket. I drain my tea cup and finished up the remaining bagel as I tidied up the bed and packed up my suitcase. I was determined not to let this get to me just yet, I had to confront to Cullens before I did that.

Ten minutes later I was hurrying down the stairs, dragging my suitcase behind me. I was glad to find the entire Cullen clan in the living room, Emmett and Jasper were on their feet leaning against the fireplace. Alice, Rosalie and Carlisle were on the couch the entire room went abruptly quiet as I walked in.

The atmosphere was tenser than I had ever seen it before. I took a breath and walked up to the fireplace, pretending to warm my hands.

"Its bad isn't it," I said turning my back to the fire and gazing directly at Carlisle.

"Nothing we can't handle Bella," Edward's velvet voice said from the far corner of the room, he looked relatively calm for once. Perhaps Jasper was influencing his mood.

"I need to know what's going on," I said folding my arms and tapping my foot in anticipation.

Alice cast Carlisle a look and he nodded, standing up. "There isn't much to tell," he said pacing around the room. "Alice had a vision involving Charlotte in some sort of chamber, whether or not she is alive is yet to be determined." He paused and gazed out of the window, there were frown lines creasing his forehead.

"I am planning on going back tonight," Edward said, coming forward to stand beside me. "And I'll let you know what's going on there."

"Is that wise Edward?" Carlisle asked, turning around to look at him. "Once touch from Aro and he will know Bella is with us."

"If they have Charlotte then they'll already know,"

The others murmured in agreement and I couldn't help but feel that something else was being kept from me. Nothing ever ran this smoothly, not even with the Cullens.

"In the mean time," Carlisle said. "When we get back to Boston today; we'll make some arrangement for you to come stay with us and-"

"Hold on a second," I said interrupting him. "I am not staying with you, on holiday is fine but when I'm at University I prefer to stay in my dorm."

"Bella, it's not safe for you any more," Edward said earnestly. "Not with the unknown fate of Charlotte and the Nomads. Staying with us is safer."

I shook my head and turned to leave, I didn't care if the entire realm was after me, nothing would convince me to continue living with the Cullens. No, I was staying in my dorm and that was final.

"Bella," Carlisle began as he came up to stand in front of me before I had even moved three steps. "If you want to stay in your dorm then that is fine. You're what's important here and you are free to choose where you stay. I'm not going to force you into anything you don't want to do."

I smiled and nodded gratefully. At least someone understood.

"Would it be okay if one of us walked you to classes and back?" he asked, his expression slightly tentative.

"That's fine," I said, sliding past him and walking into the kitchen feeling a little bit better than I had been before.

Our flight was at midday not a minute was wasted packing things up before departing once again down the snowy cover drive way. Emmett and Jasper had fitted the Mercedes with spiked tires for maximum safety on the icy roads.

The tense atmosphere had subsided slightly, but the general feeling of worry still lingered. And even though Alice made her best efforts to engage Edward and me in conversation, the chilly reception between us had weakened her somewhat. I spent most of my time talking to Jasper, quizzing him about his past life when he had been a solider in the Deep South and had been turned and placed in command of an army of newborn vampires to train during the vampire wars. "Is that why you have all those scars then?" I asked.

Jasper nodded and continued on with his story long after we had reached the airport. I found talking to Jasper to be more than just a fascinating distraction of all that was going on with The Cullens, Charlotte and the Volturi, my mood had noticeably improved. I feel relatively mellow throughout the trip back to Boston. Edward had left to catch a flight to Italy at the Belgrade airport, mentioning that if he stayed away any longer Aro would get very suspicious. But even with his departure I barely had spoken two words to Carlisle apart from saying hello and thank you. Neither of us was angry with the other, it was just that with Alice being suspicious and the others here it made everything a lot more... complicated. We couldn't risk anyone finding out anything... just yet.

It seemed to take less time than usual and late into the night, the taxi drove up to the gates of MIT once more and I was home. Emmett insisted on walking me to my dorm door despite Alice's pleas.

"No nomad is going to come near her with big bear," he said, pecking Rosalie on the cheek before spring out of the car.

I didn't have much of a chance to complain, and Emmett was good company in any case.

"ID?" The security guard asked somewhat suspiciously as the taxi drove away behind us. After what felt like a ten minute interrogation and security check process, we were finally allowed in. Emmett had remained silent until we reached the outside building of my dorm, looking around it was obvious that something had happened here while I was away. A small portion of the grounds had been roped off and in the distance I could see the faint outlines of police officers patrolling the area.

"Pointless really," Emmett said following my gaze. "As if they can stop a bunch of vampires."

"You're not doing much of a good job are you?" I said quietly.

"You're still alive and in one piece aren't you?" Emmett said nudging me on shoulder.

"I know, I know. But it is becoming rather frustrating." I sighed heavily looking up at the window of my dorm noticing the glow from my security nightlight from within.

"You're telling me," Emmett said shaking his head and looking exasperated. "I'm dying to destroy a few bad vamps, but all they keep doing is hiding away. Cowards," he muttered.

"I'm sure you'll get your chance soon enough," I said with a small smile.

Emmett gave me a quizzical look and then returned the smile. "I've gotta hand it to you Bells, you're being remarkably cool about this."

"What else can I do?" I said warily. "I can't help or change anything that's happening here, and I've got to stay strong and not let the bad vamps win."

Emmett grinned and nodded appreciatively. "Best way to be. Well I had better be going, goodnight, Bella. Jazz and I will probably be keeping guard tonight."

"Thanks, Emmett." And we parted ways. I made my way up to my dorm and busied myself with unpacking everything before the jet lag and the worry over Charlotte's fate kicked in. I couldn't believe that she had gotten mixed up with the Volturi, what were the chances of that happening? One in a million, I thought to myself as I pushed my empty suitcase under my bed and lay down on the floor. My head momentarily connects with a wide box that I had left on the floor. I sat up and looked down at it with pursed lips. It was the box that contained the necklace Carlisle had given me, and judging by the way it looked I guessed it was worth a couple of hundred dollars at least. I had to give this back to him tomorrow, hopefully when none of the Cullens were around.

I decided to spend the rest of the evening catching up with my revision. I tried very hard to ignore the emptiness that was haunting the dorm. Charlotte's absence was affecting me more than I had anticipated and I needed a distraction.

I sat down at my desk and opened my laptop; it was easy to lose yourself from reality with the internet.

The alarm on my clock rang out signaling it was midnight by the time I had finished emailing Charlie and Renee, letting them know I had returned safely. The news of Charlotte's absence would probably be in the news soon so I had to add some more lies to the messages. I then finish up on some more English and Psychology revisions.

I absently glanced out of my window and noticed a familiar figure, probably Jasper, standing within the shadow of the trees.

I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow and am greeted by more dreams. One moment I'm in the midst of a nightmare and the next blazing sunlight is waking me abruptly. For the first time in a long time it's sunny and I know that one thing was sure,the Cullens will be absent for the entire day and hopefully all other vampires too. I quickly shower and dress, collect my books and hurry out of the dorm. I make my way down to grab some breakfast from a nearby coffee shop before heading to the library. I spend half the day in the library absorbing as much last minute knowledge on my subjects as is humanly possible. After a long lunch and a trip to the admins office, to let them know of Charlotte's absence, I have to work on making my lie more convincing; I couldn't risk anyone, especially the University, jumping to conclusions.

The sky iss darkening heavily as I headed to the dorm. As I walked along the campus pathway I ponder the musing questions that have been haunting my mind since I found out about Charlotte's situation. Was it possible that there was more to this story than met the eye? Why had Edward so calmly gone back to the Volturi? And why hadn't I received a signal phone call or message from any of the Cullens all day? Something was up and I was determined to find out what it was one way or another. I took a left turn and made my way towards the entrance gates, it was probably reckless and unsafe to go out walking alone in the middle of the night with a couple of nomads and a large vampire clan after me, but I had to see the Cullens again.

I start walking again and hurriedly rummaged in my coat pocket for my iPod and earphones. Music is always does a good job of relaxing me whenever I am nervous. I place them in my ears and press play, wincing at the first song that plays.

_"Doctor, Doctor give me the news I've got a bad case of loving you."_

I let out a groan and press the skip button in a rush. I do not need cliché reminders at this time.

_"You make me so hot, you make me wanna drop, you're so ridiculous..."_

I blink down at the song title and frown; I must have accidentally synced Charlotte's music with my iPod while charging it.

_How many suggestive songs did she possess exactly?_ I thought as my finger clicked the skip button for the second time. A simple, heavy on the bass rock song comes on and satisfies me, I continue at a faster pace down the sidewalk to the the Cullens' house. After a moment I break into a run down the street, the cool air whips my face and hair as I speed up, feeling the adrenaline rush in my veins.

I round a corner and spot the secluded back campus entrance gate half concealed by leafless bushes. My eyes arre burning, remembering Charlotte on the night I had been attacked, the guilt came over me again, and I fail to see the swift motion of a dark figure. Accelerating slightly, I continue onwards inching ever closer to the sight of the Cullens house, but then without warning, a cold hand clasp my arm suddenly, bringing me to an abrupt hail. I jerked away almost falling to the ground until the strong arms held me steady on my feet.

This wasn't happening. Not again.

"Get the hell off me!" I said in a failed attempted not to scream. I began hitting at what felt like cold stone that caused nothing but pain in my fists, I continued never the less in an effort to get free.

"Bella, Bella stop It's me,." Carlisle's voice said restraining my arms.

I froze in my struggles and looked into the familiar face of my professor.

"Wh- why did you do that?" I asked furiously as I attempted to steady my breathing and calm my heart rate down. "you frightened the life out of me."

"You're lucky it me and not a nomad,he said, gazing sternly down on me. I glared back at him for a moment and then slumped against his chest, realizing in surprise that half of it was exposed. I took a step back and absorbed his physique for the first time, and my lips parted in a gasp. The sleeves of his shirt had half been ripped off and there were tiny crescent shaped marks upon his arms. Most of his shirt had been torn and a good portion of his chest could be seen, resembling that of an Olympic swimmer. There were several stained patches of blood and his hair looked wilder then ever before.

"Carlisle what the…."

"It's nothing really," he assured me with a smile. "Come. We can talk inside the house." And he took me by the hand and swung me around onto his back before I could even say another word. He then began to run back down the dark street and within seconds we had reached it.

I was lowered to my feet and waited as he opened the door and led me in. The lightly lit corridor allowed me to get a better look at him now. Most of his shirt had been torn and a good portion of his chest could be seen, resembling that of an Olympic swimmer. There were several stained patches of blood and his hair looked wilder then ever before. _Had they been fighting? Was this the reason why I hadn't heard from them?_

"What happened to you?" I asked, gazing at him with wide eyes. Carlisle smiled reassuringly and gestured for me to follow him into the kitchen. I barely even noticed that the house was empty.

Carlisle rummaged around in the fridge for a moment and took out a large bottle of familiar crimson liquid. "Would you like a drink?"

"I'm good thanks, Carlisle what's going on? Where are the others and why do you look like you've just been in a battle?"

Carlisle took a long swig of blood and sat down gesturing for me to do the same.

"We were ambushed," he said. "In the local park not far from here, a dozen or so newborns. We knew they were coming but when was another matter altogether." He took another sip of blood.

"And you fought them?"

Carlisle lowered his bottle and nodded. "The others are disposing of the remains of a couple of newborns now," he said sadly. "Alice caught a glimpse of you on your way here and I volunteered to go find you. It is very risky for you to be out alone Bella, especially when both Laurent and Victoria are at large."

So they were coming after me, even when I had only returned for less than a day. Had Charlotte told the Volturi everything then and sent Laurent and Victoria on their way to kill me?

"Did they get away?"

"Yes, I think it was more of a practice run for them more than anything else. I know that the newborns we were fighting weren't the told number the two nomads have recruited."

I stood up and walked over to the fridge opening it and taking out the strongest thing I could find, grape juice. The sugar kick would help. I collected a glass and poured myself one before downing it in one go. Carlisle gazed at me closely as I sat back down again, the blackness in his eyes was slowly fading into gold again.

"I am sorry I snuck up on you like that," he said after a moment. I waved a hand aside and continued to stare at his less than respectable appearance. It must have been a bad fight, and it was frightening to think of Carlisle being in such a dangerous situation.

"This would never have happened if I-" The words of guilt had begun to spill of my mouth in an almost resentful fashion, but Carlisle cut me off.

"Please don't pin the blame on yourself, Bella. You could not have prevented this, no matter if you were a human or one of us." Carlisle said placing a hand in my own. It was unbelievable to contemplate the fact that he was the injured one recovering from a battle and he was comforting me.

My eyes were burning again, yet no tears fell. I wasn't going to cry and show weakness in such a situation as this.

"Did you find Charlotte?"

Carlisle shook his head sadly. "No, but Alice think she is still alive. There have been brief glimpses in her visions."

That was a relief at least; I would hate to think that she had had the life drained from veins by some creepy Volturi member.

"Let me clean up some of that blood for you," I said slowly with an unexpected edge to my voice. I got to my feet and walked over to the sink, washing out the now empty glass and putting it back before collecting a bowl. I filled it half way with soap and warm water, and then collected a clean cloth from the draw before coming to stand beside him again.

"Vampire venom doesn't affect you does it?" I ran the edges of the damp cloth along his arm and over the indentations of the bite marks that were shining with silver venom and crimson blood stains.

"No. We have a powerful immunity to venom, kind of a blessing really. The bite in general does cause pain, but that is merely a brief discomfort. It's the blood loss that weakens us," he said watching my fingers trace the crescent scar now forming on his left bicep. The smell of the soap was covering the blood nicely and I felt less nauseated.

"You must have been out of your comfort zone." I was surprised by the suggestion in my tone.

Carlisle tilted his head slightly puzzled. "By having to fight? I do not enjoy violence under any circumstance, but sometimes it is necessary to protect and defend a threat to something precious," he said, brushing a stray piece of hair from my cheek.

"I'm not precious," I said in a soft whisper, moving away from him, I knew where this was leading; I wouldn't let it happen again. Not if I could help it anyway.

"Yes you are," he said bringing me closer to him once more, despite my useless attempts to prevent him from doing so.

"Are you trying to be charming?" I asked, as I continued to wipe the stains off his marble white skin.

"I don't need to try when I am with you, Bella."

I dipped my fingers into the water filled bowl and flicked a few drops of water at him and playfully splashed him in the chest.

"Very mature," he said with a grin.

"You provoked me," I said splashing some water on his arm and wiping away the stains.

Carlisle chucked lightly and leaned forwards dipping his hand into the water and splashing me in turn. I stare down at my damp sweater and then back at him.

"_That_ was unnecessary," I said and flicked about half the content of the bowl in on his already stained clothes.

He gripped my wrist in his hand and pulled it away from the water. He then brought me up to stand closer beside him, my eyes met his and I watched as they began to grow darker. He locked his gaze on mine with a suddenly serious expression.. And for a long moment I was lost in the intensity of his stare. I felt him lean closer and reach out his other hand to caress my cheek. "Isabella," he whispered gently.

I shook my head and moved his hand away. "Please don't."

The scent of him was surrounding me against in an intoxicating haze. He was closer to my face now, too close, I had to move or at least do something to get out of this.

"Tell me when to stop, tell me you don't want me." I felt his cold fingers caress my neck innocently and he leaned forward, capturing my mouth in his. From the moment of contact a rush of ice rippled down my spine. There was nothing tentative and cautious about it. He calmed my lips with each of his own possessive kisses.

I was merely a novice in comparison and I should have pulled away, ended it there and then, but I could not. My lips parted to meet his as I began to move my hand up the torn sections of his shirt to caress his bare chest and finally rest upon his neck.

He grasped my waist tighter and pushed me firmly against the hard cradle of his body. I felt him brush the stray strands of my hair aside to expose my neck and the warmth of anticipation flooded through me. A sharp intake of breath left me as he moved away from lips and kissed downwards along my jaw line until he reached my neck. I closed my eyes and arched against him, and stifled a whimper as the tip of his tongue delicately caressed my neck. A low moan left my lips before I could stop myself.

"Carlisle," I said in a breathless voice slightly higher than my normal. "We can't."

"Yes, Isabella, we can," he said, obviously savoring each kiss he placed upon the skin of my neck.

He raised my back up again until we were face to face; I opened my eyes and gazed into his jet black eyes and I felt the crimson flow into my cheeks.

"I adore you," he said before kissing me again. I did little to resist him and instead lay back against the kitchen counter with my hands absently running along the inside of his shirt.

And then there was a loud clicking of the front door and the swift motion of footsteps before a high pitched shriek followed.

"Carlisle!" Alice exclaimed furiously coming over and wrenching him away from me. She looked for furious than I had ever seen before and to make matters worse I could hear the rest of the coven coming it.

"Have you ever heard of knocking, Alice?" Carlisle asked in a miraculously calm tone. I made to pull away from him but he held his arms firmly around my waist. I could barely move an inch.

"I cannot believe you would do something like this!" Alice hissed angrily. She looked more disheveled than I had ever seen her look before, her clothes were torn in several places and there were leaves in her hair.

"Alice-" I began hurriedly but she interrupted me before I could say another word.

"She is your son's soul mate, Carlisle how could you!" She whispered, ignoring that I was even there.

"What's going on?" A familiar velvet voice called from near the kitchen doorway. I had to do a double take at the sound of it; it seemed hard to believe that he was back so soon. _Oh what perfect timing. _I was grateful for the fact that he could not read my mind, but he could still read Carlisle's. _Holy crap, I'm done for._

"Edward," Carlisle said maintaining a neutral expression as he looked at his adopted son. "Back so soon?"

Edward nodded and calmly strolled into the kitchen and walked up to the fridge, evidently in search of some blood. "Aro has given me some more time," he said taking out a thermos from the fridge and collecting a clean glass from the cupboard. He poured a generous amount into the glass. "Plus I have some explaining to do so," his eyes flickered over me and then to the arm Carlisle had just removed from around my waist.

"Do you have any news on Charlotte?" I asked breaking the momentary silence and causally taking a seat back on the stool.

Edward set down his empty blood stained glass and smiled the same -you have nothing to worry about smile- "No, but I don't think she's in danger. Probably just taking a longer holiday."

_Liar! _I nodded and cast my gaze down at my shoes, licking my lips that still tasted like Carlisle. I had _tasted_ him, broken a forbidden barrier that could lead to serious trouble in the Cullen Family. But lord, I wanted him. It was as though I had been finally given the one thing I had been longing for since the first day I had met him that day in the emergency room dressed in a white coat. He had a radiant smile on his face that caused my heart to skip a beat. I had never imagined that five years later I would have been kissed by him.

The sudden loud slam of the door broke the thoughts from my mind. I looked up to see the remaining members of the Cullen clan come wandering in, each of them baring the markings of those who had been fighting.

"I don't think I have ever seen such well trained newborn vampires before," Jasper said running a hand through his tousled hair and sinking into the stool beside Alice.

"Well at least we've solved the mystery of what happened to all those missing students," Emmett said, easing Rosalie into a spare stool and then leaping onto the kitchen counter. He seized the thermos and took a long sip before Edward could even say another word.

"Was it bad?" I asked looking from each of them in turn.

Jasper fixed a suspicious gaze at Carlisle and then at me. _And I knew from that look that he knew what Alice had walked in on. Did that mean Carlisle's feelings were genuine then? _

"We met a small group of them not far from the campus on their way to your dorm, and we managed to tackle them off. Then as Carlisle and Alice were heading back Laurent and about twenty of his clan ambushed us, we didn't have a chance. In fact we were more than lucky that we got away at all."

I nodded, trying to overcome the wave of nausea that had come over me. I exhaled slowly looking at the floor and contemplating whether to go back to the dorm. I could hardly stay here not after what had happened between Carlisle and me, and then there was Alice. My strength was wavering at this point and the invisible tension between Carlisle and Edward had become, for me at least, too much to bear.

_My entire fault, how could I have let this happen? Just before the finals as well__. _

"Well I think I had better get back to the dorm, it will look suspicious if I am absent." I rose up from the stool but caught sight of Edward's look that told me I wasn't going anywhere.

"Given the circumstances, Bella, I think you should stay here," he said.

"It's too risky for you to be alone, especially with Victoria and Laurent on the loose," Edward continued, standing a few steps in front of me beside the door.

"That's not your decision to make, Edward, and besides, I need to be alone for a while." I managed to slide past Edward and out of the kitchen into the corridor and down to the front door. I had barely walked five yards when Edward and Alice had zoomed in front of me, blocking my pathway.

"Bella I know this is difficult, but staying here is the sensible thing to do." Edward said earnestly. "We need to talk in any case."

"I'd rather not, thanks. If you think its unsafe then one of you can walk me back. But I _am not_ staying here."

Edward sighed heavily and looked at Alice, her expression r seeming to convey that my departure was a good idea. "It should be safe, Emmett will be guarding outside in a few minutes so," she nodded confidently. "Take her back, Edward, Carlisle and I need to have a word in any case."

Edward blinked and then frowned looking between his sister and me. "Okay then." He moved to the front door and opened it hastily. "After you, Bella."

As much I wanted to argue the expression on Edward's face told me it would be better to agree. I cast Alice an exasperated glance before allowing Edward to take my hand. She merely scowled and turned to walk back into the kitchen, gesturing for Carlisle to follow suit. But he remained where he was, watching me; his eyes were still darker than usual. He gave me a reassuring smile that seemed to drain all apprehension from every fiber of my being. We could always talk tomorrow.

"Good night," I called back as I was lead away by Edward. There was a slight smile lining his lips before he began to speed along the pathway with me riding on his back. It took us roughly seven minutes to get back to my dorm. I had scoffed at Edward's method of reaching my room, climbing up an oak tree and jumping through a half open window on the third floor building. I hadn't intended on him coming into my dorm with me. He set me down on my feet and I quickly went to my door and opened it, letting my self in but keeping him still waiting just outside.

"Could I come in?" he asked leaning against the doorway. I bit my lip and shook my head. "I don't think that's…" but he had already slid past the door and inside my room. "You never complained when I did it at your father's house," he said.

"That was different." _I was a stupid idiot back then. _A heavy sight left my lips as I closed the door and walked over to my desk chair, taking a seat and watching Edward pace around the room for a few minutes before he finally decided to sit down.

"Bella," he said, placing two hands firmly on my shoulders. Edward fixed his eyes upon me as if searching for a flicker of something within them.

"I cannot believe how much you have changed," he said with a hopeful expression, becoming more affectionate. "Usually whenever I came near you or even touched you it would send your heart into a wild systole."

"You don't have the same affect on me any more," I said, pushing his arms away a little too easily. "Things have changed a lot you know, and you cant use my teenage hormones to get what you want."

"That was not my intention, Bella. It never has been, but I would like to talk to you. To explain why I left you for so long." He resumed his position on the chair beside me. He was staring at me intently with his lips set in a thin line.

"I don't need an explanation. All is forgotten, but I would like to know why you are here, won't Aro be concerned about your long absence?" I said, folding my arms and looking towards the clock.

"Like I said, I can push a few more days before I go back. We do need to talk Bella, it is essential that you understand why I did what I did."

"It doesn't matter anymore," I said avoiding his eyes.

"You can hardly say that it's all water under the bridge. Since I got back you've been treating me just like a stranger," he said quietly. The idea of remaining silent would have been desirable at this point, but as a torrent of thoughts were cascading into my brain the mere exercise of it seemed impossible.

"What did you expect? That I would run into your arms and declare my undying affection for you, forgive and act like nothing had happened?" I defended, maintaining a steady voice despite my shaking hands.

Edward bowed his head partially concealing his face that was lined with the same look he had when Jasper had attacked me on my eighteenth birthday. The memory echoed at the corner of my mind almost mockingly.

"Bella, leaving you was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my entire existence. The pain was worse then when I was first turned into a vampire," Edward said, raising his head slightly as he spoke. "But the way our lives were clashing I thought it was the best thing to do at the time. My entire family was affected and at risk for exposure, and I was placing you in a ridiculous position of sacrifice. It would have been unfair to you and I wanted you to have a life, Bella, one to live and make for yourself."

"I still could have made a life for myself, even while being with you. There wasn't any need for you to go; I knew what I was getting into, Edward," I replied after a moment, feeling my anger evaporate somewhat.

"I care for you too much to let you sacrifice your life over me. I never wanted to leave you. And you can't deny that if I had not left, you would not be standing here practically a university graduate." A small, satisfied smile curling his lips. "Carlisle was right about how well you would turn out."

I frowned and hoped against hope I wasn't blushing again.

"You count my achievements to _your_ credit,?" I said, folding my arms and raising my eyebrows questioningly.

"Bella, if I hadn't left you would never have been able to reach here. We were codependent., it was selfish to continue in such a relationship. But… now we can follow that dream we held many years ago; my love for you never wavered."

"It still doesn't change anything, Edward; even if you still feel the same way about me it doesn't mean that I still possess the same feeling for you."

"I know it will take you time to regain that trust and be able to cast all doubt about us aside. But since you're my soul mate I have no objection in waiting for you."

_I, on the other hand, have several objections. And I beg to differ on the whole soul mate concept, considering you have no soul._

I had to clench my fists in an effort to keep my expression neutral.

"You take too many things for granted," I said firmly. "You say you left me to separate me from the constant threat from your kind, but even after you went away, the risks and problems remained. In fact, they became much worse. The vampire attacks increased around Seattle and Forks, I had to go and hang out with a pack of wolves to keep me safe. And then I had to persuade my father to immigrate to Australia to keep him safe."

Edward nodded regretfully, the dark shadows under his eyes becoming more prominent. "I know it was foolish and irresponsible. I should have known better, though I kept track of Laurent and Victoria, I never really grasped the situation. Carlisle did though, and we had many arguments about it," he sighed. "You wouldn't believe how furious he was after we left Forks. It was so unrealistic for him to be so stressed. Every day he would check the news and sites around Forks. On several occasions I caught him trying to go back there with Esme. I stopped him though, thinking he was being ridiculous. It got to the point where Alice decided to take us all on a trip around Europe to take our minds off things. But then Esme died, and the Volturi revealed a little more than they meant to."

I shot him a gaze, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"It was somewhat of a wake up call. I decided to join them to find out what was going on, and Alice agreed to keep an eye on you. But then Carlisle had this wide notion that the rest of us should find you, reestablish contact and protect you; it was weird because he knew exactly where you would be. I did ask for them to keep it a secret, but as you've seen, he didn't t keep up with that plan."

I cast my eyes down at the ground again and I couldn't help but smile. So he had come to find me, even after all that time. But what did that mean? _Did he have feelings for me before all this?_

"I offered myself to the Volturi in order to spy on them and find out what Aro was up to."

"And Aro never realized what you were doing?" I asked, recalling a previous conversation with Carlisle months earlier about Aro's talent. The ability to see every thought a person has ever had simply by touching them.

"Not entirely, though he already knew about our relationship. He had you in mind, but nothing ever came from it." Edward rose suddenly and walked towards my seat, crouching down beside me. My face was tilted down, my eyes upon the carpet. The cold tips of his fingers caressed my cheek; I looked up to meet his eyes that had once caused an overwhelming sensation of emotion. Now, however, I felt nothing apart from indignant displeasure.

"I swear that I will never hurt you again, Bella. On my existence, I promise to never be the cause of any pain or misery that will come over you." He seemed to lean in closer as though trying to gain a better analysis of my emotions, expressionless though my face remained. The numbness was back again, I could not move. My eyes remained on Edward's face watching his eyes upon my lips, a cold sensation washed over me unexpectedly and I felt myself lean away from him.

"What were you and Carlisle doing before I arrived?" Edward asked carefully.

"He was talking and I was cleaning his wounds," I said quickly. Edward smiled looking relieved. "Talking about literature were you?"

I nodded without making eye contact with him.

"That explains why he was reciting a passage from Romeo and Juliet in his head."

Okay, now it was time for him to leave. I stood up and walked over to the door, turning the handle and gesturing towards the corridor. "There's no promise you can make to me that will erase the scars, Edward. And I think it is best if we just remain friends."

Edward straightened up, evidently taking the hint and coming over to stand outside the door. "You know that you and I can never be friends, Bella. Not with how I feel about you."

"Take it or leave it," I said folding my arms. "I'm not the same person anymore, Edward."

Edward chuckled and shook his head. "We'll see I think you're just a little bit cautious and you have every right to be. Good night, Bella."

I closed the door and turned, leaning back against it and sighing. My mind was buzzing with what Edward had just said about Carlisle and the Cullens experiences after they had left Forks. I sighed and ran a hand along the back of my neck, walking to my closet to grab some pajamas. It had been barely an hour ago that I had kissed Carlisle for the first time and already I was intoxicated by the thought him. His face flashed across my mind and sleep was the last thing I wanted.

_Why do vampires have this affect on me?_

My conversation with Edward had cleared away the looming shadow that had encapsulated me since his return. Whatever I had felt for him was gone; nothing was the same between us, not his touch, his voice or the scent of him had any affect on me. He had changed, no doubt due to his time spent with the Volturi. Though I had never met any of them, I could easily figure out their characteristics were influenced by restrictions and learned loyalty. I couldn't help but feel that there was something Edward wasn't telling me, his words echoed in my mind as I changed in to pajamas. I had grown accustomed to fabrications or concealed the truth in my life back in Forks, and was economical with the truth. After Edward left, I found school beyond unbearable; the emptiness seemed to scream at me whenever I was there. On many occasions I had resorted to studying at home all day and only going out at night to spend time on extra curricular activities.

Most of my time at La Push was spent with Jacob Black, who had become somewhat of a surrogate brother to me had effectively brought me out of my isolation l.. He taught me how to jog without tripping over my feet, how to change a car tire and check the oil. It hadn't stopped there; I learned how to ride a motorbike without falling off or crashing, and he even managed to get me into cliff diving. The best thing was that I had gained a secret; just like I had when I met the Cullens; werewolves were just as real as vampires.

I mused over all the past memories that I had aimed to bury once I had reached University, but now they were resurfacing. Fortunately, they were positive and I could handle that. I wanted so much to call Jake and tell him about everything that had happened with the Cullens and Charlotte. But I couldn't, him and the wolf pack knowing would only make things worse. I ran a hand through my hair as I looked out of the window wondering which one of them was out there patrolling tonight. I lay back again my pillows and felt the sudden sharp pain on the back of my head. I glanced down at the silver object coiled neatly on my pillow; underneath it was a piece of paper stained with marks. I sat up and examined what turned out to be a long and heavy necklace with a pyramid shaped symbol hanging from the end of it. The note beneath it bore handwriting I had never seen before. The lettering on it didn't make any sense either, a mere jumble of words written in black ink:

**_Water riser play our vary lot._**

I stared at them for what felt like an age, unable to either comprehend or rid the uneasy feeling that had come over me. Someone had been in the dorm, again and left this weird piece of jewelry and a note of meaningless words. It hadn't been Edward because he hadn't gone anywhere near my bed. And he hadn't caught the scent of any vampires in my dorm so who would have…? My head ached with tiredness and I decided that this could be saved for some other time.

I pushed back the covers and slid into bed, flicking off my bedside table lamp as I did so. I placed the necklace on the table and rolled over hoping to catch some sleep.

The rest of the week passed relatively uneventfully except I was plagued by the fact I had yet to let the Cullens know about the necklace and the note I had found on my bed. The sun had been out every day for the entire week and I was stuck revising during the evening so I never had a chance to see any of them. Everyone except for Edward seemed to be keeping their distance, although Edward had been preoccupied with other matters so I only saw him briefly. . I was grateful for that, but still frustrated that I hadn't had the chance to speak to Carlisle. He seemed to be avoiding me - never a good sign. Perhaps Alice had persuaded him to ignore me completely. My suspicions were put aside, however, during the final four days before the exams, when I had decided that enough was enough. We couldn't just avoid each other. I took my free period to visit Carlisle's office late one afternoon. I hurried out of the library and walked around the back of the campus. The muffled noise of students going about their day surrounded me as I walked down the pathway lined with low hanging trees. The noise provided an oddly calming effect as I walked. It was also easier to clutter my mind in the throngs of students; hopefully Alice wouldn't be able to track me down.

I entered the main building housing the faculty offices and walked down the wood paneled corridor that was, to my surprise, empty. I felt my heart rate quicken as I reached the outside door and knocked three times before looking around to make sure no one else was in sight.

After a moment there was the click of a lock and the door opened; Carlisle gazed at me with honey colored eyes and smiled.

"Hello," he said, gesturing for me to come in. I did so a little quicker than I had intended to but the prospect of anyone seeing me going into my professor's office _after hours_ wasn't very desirable.

"I was wondering if you were ever going to come and see me," Carlisle commented, closing the door quietly behind me and then turning around to face me.

"I was making sure Alice wasn't around," I stated, resting my bag on the floor and against the edge of his desk.

"She's gone to do some research with Edward, I believe. We're all trying to get to the bottom of this problem."

"You know the solution," I said, folding my arms and giving him a pointed look.

Carlisle chuckled lightly and shook his head. "I'm not turning you into a vampire Bella, not yet anyway. Now I need to ask you something," he said seriously before I could say another word. "And I would like you to be honest." I gazed at him for a long moment, the perfectly styled blond hair, and pale blue button down shirt and black suit jacket that matched his pants. I frowned as I spotted the scarf around his neck and couldn't help but find it to be somewhat distracting. Why anyone would were a scarf indoors?

"Bella?" he said tilting his head and gazing at me with intent golden eyes.

"Yes?" I said pulling my thoughts together.

"Do you regret what happened?"

The question was so sudden and unexpected that I stopped dead in my tracks. My breath left my parted lips faster as I contemplated my answer. I could say that I did and that it should never happen again, but that would be a lie. I had wanted him to do it.

"No," I said simply, watching his face as it radiated something close to perfection. "You made feel something I thought wasn't possible anymore. But that still doesn't change anything."

He locked his gaze on mine, his expression suddenly serious, and then, without warning, took my hands in both of his and came to stand inches away from me.

"How can you say it doesn't change anything?" he asked slowly, fixing his devastatingly intense and affectionate stare on me. "You know how I feel about you, Bella."

"No I don't know, and whatever feelings you have they're wrong in any case," I said trying and failing to look away from him. "We are wrong,"

"After what happened between us I doubt that we could ever be wrong for each other. Believe me, Isabella, I didn't kiss you out of some random impulsive notion."

_Isabella. Why did I love it when he said my full name? It seemed to fall so beautifully off his annoyingly perfect, pale pink lips. Okay, focus Bella._

"Being friends is the best thing for us; it's easier and overall better," I said squaring myself up to him. The expression he gave me revealed very clearly that he wasn't buying my determined resistance.

"What are you afraid of?" Carlisle asked, drawing me closer to him again; the breath had started to catch in my chest. "Hmm?" He pushed a stray strand of hair away from my face. "What is Isabella Swan so afraid of?"

"Are you trying to psychoanalyze me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Maybe," he said, grinning. "I have tried to do so on several occasions, but I always seem to end up at a brick wall. You're a very complicated person."

"Stop it," I said hurriedly and began to move away from him again, his flirtations would be wasted on me. I felt him lean closer unfolding his arms to reach out and caress my cheek.

"Over three years of waiting, Isabella," he said seriously, and he began moving in closer so that I found myself back up against the wall of his office.

"Isn't that long enough to wait...?"

I narrowed my eyes at him sternly. "Friendship is all I can offer you," I said almost to myself rather than him.

"But between us there is no friendship possible, not when one of us possesses such adoration for the other."

"You are my professor," I breathed out feeling the temperature rise within me. My whole body was screaming for him. "Not to mention a vampire and Edward's guardian. I can't get involved with you, Carlisle; can you imagine what the others would say?"

Carlisle brought my hand up to his lips and kissed it gently. "Jasper is already aware of my… feelings. He has been for a very long while."

"A long while?" I blurted out suddenly.

"Yes a very…" He trailed off and e leaned in, planting a kiss on my left cheek. "…Long." He moved across towards my lips. "Time." And he caught my mouth with his. This was wrong; I couldn't let this happen. I pressed my hands to his chest and attempted to push him away. The rough silk of his tongue teased me into parting my lips, and I tried to find the will to break away. His hand wrapped tightly around my waist and all I could manage at this point was a moan.

"More," I whispered into his lips before I could stop myself. I felt my feet leave the ground as he lifted me up and move, still not breaking the kiss, towards his desk. He pulled away from me as I rested myself on the scattered pile of papers. My gaze met his and I could just see the tips of his fangs through his parted lips.

"Carlisle wait, wait," I said pulling away and trying to catch my breath. "What are we doing? I mean, how can this…" I wanted to say work out but the reality of it was that it couldn't.

"I am not going to force you into anything, Bella," he said in a guttural voice. "It is true that I desire you, but if you don't feel the same then you can walk away and we'll speak no more of this. We can carry on as before."

I had to fight the urge to smile as I cupped his face in my hands. "No," I said gently. "I want this." I kissed him again, forgetting about any of the reservations I had possessed moments ago. We continued like this until, almost regretfully, he pulled away and curved his lips into a smile. "We need to exercise some control if this is going to work."

I grinned sheepishly and nodded, dangling my legs over his desk. "Alice wont be happy," I said and bit my bottom lip.

"Never mind about her. Come let me take you out to dinner."

"Dinner?" I repeated sliding off his desk and suppressing a laugh. "How's that going to work?"

"Well," Carlisle began carefully. "I take you to a restaurant, we both order and _you _eat. I'll just talk to you for half the evening."

"Won't the others notice your absence?"

"They'll just assume I'm working. Let me take you out. It can be your final break before exams," he said, moving over to the door and placing his hand on the knob. As much as I liked the idea I felt somewhat apprehensive about it. What if someone saw us? Then again who cares? After next week my university education would be over and my finals would be done.

"Fine," I said, stooping to pick up my bag and walking to the door. "But no dessert."

"Whatever you wish," Carlisle said, opening the door and leading me out.

~To be continued.

Different isnt it? :) Let me know what you think of this version.


	12. Chapter 12 Misguided Reality

I bring you another chapter. Thank you so much again for all the reviews, I honestly cannot believe that this story has received so many!

Just one thing, the beginning of this chapter involves a scene that is somewhat _"mature"_ in content. You have been warned.

_Edited 06/25/2010_

Chapter 12: **Misguided Rreality**

Chapter 12

_The melancholy glow of several candles cast the room into mysterious shadows. There was an odd aroma of tantalizing cinnamon; it seemed to engulf me as I breathed it in._

_I seemed to be in a bedroom of some sort, a gentle breeze was flickering in from the French doors that led out onto veranda. Just a few yards beyond the veranda I could see the rippling waves of the ocean and the moonlight reflecting off the water. I looked down to find myself dressed in what appeared to be a white silk dressing gown that flowed like a waterfall to my toes. I gazed around feeling oddly startled at this new and unknown scene before my eyes. I walked to the doors determined to find my way out, but a voice called from behind me. I stopped dead and turned to see the Cullen patriarch smiling at me, dressed in a white shirt and tanned pants. Something erupted in me as I stared at him, but what was it? Longing? Desire? Need? Nothing was making any sense to me at this point._

_"Where are you going love?"_

_"Nowhere," I hear myself say. I could never leave so long as he was here. Carlisle smiled and held out his hand. I took it and allowed him to pull me closer to him._

_He kissed my lips once, twice, three times before untying the band around my gown and pushing it off my shoulders. Usually the idea of being completely nude in front of anyone would send me into a whirlwind of nerves and apprehension. But not in this case, I allowed him to gaze over every inch of my body feeling perfectly relaxed. _

_ He seemed to be worshiping me with his eyes. When I looked into his eyes, that were golden black and positively smoldering, I felt the heat rise within me. "You are so devastatingly beautiful." He said in a voice laced with velvet. I felt his cool arms wrapped around me as he kissed me once more. I moved my hands down and latched onto his shirt, ripping it open. The sound of many buttons hitting the floor met my ears and I smiled as I slid his shirt down his arms and lay it to rest on the floor. He lifted me up in his arms without breaking the kiss and moved over with inhuman speed to a large bed._

_The last of his clothes seemed to melt away and my body reacted instantly to his cold touch as he parted my thighs, pushing his hips between them. Slowly he moved up pressing his lips to every inch of my chest. The combination of suckling and licking seemed to set my whole being on fire. A frenzy of sound left my lips as he continued pleasuring me. _

_Next he moved up towards my mouth and claimed it with his own. I responded eagerly to him, letting my left hand run down the icy steel of his back. Our eyes locked together as he pulled away and I knew there was no going back ._

_"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long," he murmured._

_"It was worth the wait," I said, running my hand up his well toned abdomen. _

_He laughed softly and kissed me once more, increasing the rioting emotion of desire that was flooding through me._

_"Are you sure about this Bella? The risk is-"_

_I silenced him in mid-sentence placing a finger on his lips. _

_"I trust you completely." Those four simple words would end all doubt, all reservation. The past was forgotten, all mistakes forgiven. There was nothing left but this moment._

_His eyes seem to darken with anticipation, and then suddenly I felt him plunge deep inside my warmth sending an electric shock of pleasure around me. The sensation of pleasure was entwined with the shock of this new, unfamiliar experience. He resumed kissing my lips once more in between each thrust. _

_"Oh, Carlisle," I gasped __ as he pulled back and moved again and again, going deeper inside me._

_"I want you, Bella, forever," he moaned, and I thought I would melt there and then beneath him. _

_"Take me then," I panted, running my fingernails down his back. He moved slightly down and kissed my neck, running his pointed incisors along my skin. And then I felt him sink his fangs into my neck and a rush of fire cascaded along my veins and I was gone._

I bolted upright suddenly when I was awakened by the shrill sound of the alarm clock. My eyes slowly began to adjust to the faint rays of daylight that filtered through the dorm. Taking a deep breath, I lay back down on the pillows waiting for my heart rate to return to normal.

"It was only a dream. It meant nothing," I told myself, slowly gazing up at the ceiling. _Just a meaningless dream. _

Several days had passed since my secret dinner with Carlisle, and the heavy burden of exams was practically over. It was hard to believe that I had actually managed to finish university, yet it was not as happy an occasion as it should have been. Charlotte was still missing and neither the police nor Alice had been able to locate her. Professor Rimsky had almost been in tears when the news of her disappearance had spread around campus, and Edward had refused to let me out of his sight during my time outside. It had gotten to the point where arguing resulted in nothing; I could never disenchant his stubborn overprotective ways.

Each and every morning for the past few days he had met me outside my dormitory entrance with a large Starbucks coffee and a toasted bagel, and that same old crooked smile. I couldn't help thinking that Alice might have something to do with this, because ever since she had discovered Carlisle with me in the kitchen, her mannerisms towards both of us had changed a lot. She was always pairing me up with Edward and making sure we were together when I was alone. I was tired of her pushiness; wasn't I allowed to date other people? Or was my sole existence meant for Edward alone? Granted, going from him to a man who had been a father figure towards him for over a hundred years wasn't exactly ideal.

I sat up and threw the covers off, getting out of bed and walking over to my closet to find a suitable outfit to wear. I couldn't stay in bed all day dwelling on matters that couldn't be changed.

Fifteen minutes later I was hurrying down the stairs while zipping up my knee length jacket. Hopefully I had sometime to get some breakfast before the exam. Of course, when I reached the outer entrance hall, a familiar figure of Edward Cullen was standing there, leaning against the doorway holding a Starbucks coffee and what looked like a bagel.

"Good morning," he said grinning, as I rolled my eyes at him.

"You really don't have to do this you know," I said taking the bagel and coffee off his hands giving me a worn smile of thanks.

"Its only breakfast, Bella," he said gazing at me with a bemused expression. I took a long sip of coffee; an early caffeine boost was just what I needed at the time.

"How did you know this was my favorite?" I asked, suspiciously recognizing the flavor of the vanilla latte.

"I have my sources."

_And by sources you mean Alice of course. _I began to walk the pathway towards the psych building where the first of the week's exams were being held. The wind whipped across my face displacing my scarf, underneath which I had placed the necklace safely around my neck. Edward's eyes narrowed as he spotted it.

"Where did you get that?" he inquired, suddenly coming to a halt in front of me blocking my path.

"I found it," I said innocently before taking a bite out of the bagel in an effort to buy some time. I could easily guess what Edward's reaction would be if I told him I had discovered it shortly after their battle with the nomads that I had discovered it on my bed only a few hours after their brief battle with the nomads. No doubt I would be frog-marched to the Cullens' house and set up in temporary residence there until the whole situation was over with. But there was no way that was going to happen, safety precaution or not.

"You found it?" Edward repeated skeptically.

I nodded taking another deliberately long sip of coffee. It was technically true, I had found it, just not as offhandedly as it seemed.

"Bella," he began leaning closer, his fingers raising the pendant hanging from the chain.. "There is no way you could have simply _found_ this."

"You think I stole it?"

"No, of course not. But this is excessively rare, and I doubt the owner would just leave it lying around for any average person to go and pick it up," he said delicately gesturing me to remove it from my neck. I sighed heavily as I removed the necklace retrieving my coffee as I did so.

He moved away slightly, squinting down at the jewelry his expression transformed from puzzlement to one of fury.

"Did someone give this to you?" he asked, pacing slowly.

"No, I found it," I said again.

"Where did you find it?" he asked impatiently.

"In my dorm, on my bed," I said finally, picking up my pace.

"Was there anything else there with it?" he demanded sharply.

"Just this," I said handing the crumpled piece of paper to him. His eyes scanned across it repeatedly his face etched with revelation.

"Edward?" I asked, checking my watch, the exam would start in ten minutes and lateness was not an option at this point.

"I need to have a word with Alice," he said, rearranging his expression to look calm. "We'll talk about this later Bella." He scanned at his watched. "you're going to be late."

"But…" I began to say, but the administrator was already beckoning me inside; Edward gave me a short nod and said in a whisper only I could hear.

"Later, Bella." With that he turned and hurried away.

I began my exam feeling completely distracted and somewhat grumpy. Since I was preoccupied with other emotion, I wasn't feeling even remotely nervous.

Three hours later I had emerged my head feeling like a rung sponge and my right hand aching. Edward had not reappeared, and I had spent my hour long lunch break contemplating the note and the necklace. There was also the letter written in blood I had received months ago and the events following n its discovery. My arm still bore the scars from where they had slashed my wrists to remove a sample of my blood. I toyed with my chicken salad thinking about it. Someone took a sample of my blood, left me the note and necklace, kidnapped my best friend and attacked the Cullens. There were only two groups I found suspect, the nomads or the Volturi. My mind was contemplating the idea of Victoria or Aro sending me notes as I re-entered the exam room.

By the time I had emerged the day had molded into night and the full moon glowed over the leafless trees lining the grounds. Edward was there, leaning against a low hanging tree, waiting patiently as I walked across the lawn, feeling utterly drained.

"You look exhausted," he said moving away from the tree and holding out his hand to relieve me of my bag.

"I feel it," I said handing it to him, before beginning to walk silently along the pathway. Despite my tiredness, I was determined to get some answers one way or another.

"That note that came with the necklace, do you have any idea what it means?" Edward asked calmly.

"I haven't really had much time to figure it out," I said looking straight ahead of me. "There is something familiar about it though."

His eyes were fixed upon me now, yet I averted my own.

"A few months ago I received another note, nothing like this one, but the handwriting upon that one looks similar," I said vaguely, not wanting to go into detail.

"Yes, Carlisle showed me the blood written death threat you received on the night you and Jasper were attacked," Edward said in a low voice, scanning the campus.

"Do you think that it's the same person?"

"Without a doubt," he said, casting me a glance.

"What about the necklace?" I asked.

"Maybe we should save this until we get back to the house."

I rolled my eyes but remained silent as the back gates became visible in the dim lighting of the lamps. Edward stopped abruptly in front of me casting a quick look around the campus with a grim expression.

"Would you mind if I carried you back? It would save a great deal of time," he said in a rush.

I contemplated for a moment in silence and figuring it probably was a better idea nodded in agreement. It had been so long since I had experienced that same rush of speed that almost drove me to nausea. He lifted me on to his back and, with my arms held tightly around his neck, began to run, speeding out of the grounds and into the street so fast that everything became a blur. Seconds later my feet were safely on the ground again as we walked up the front garden to the already open door. Carlisle was leaning against the wall, his eyes fixed on me, barely registering Edward's presence. As I followed them into the sitting room where the others had congregated, I felt the tips of his fingers caress my arm and his lips curving into a reassuring smile.

"About time too," Alice exclaimed from behind the coffee table now littered with books and several scraps of paper.

"We had to make a small detour," Edward said, causally taking a seat beside her and beckoned me to follow suit.

"How was the exam?" Carlisle asked inconspicuously.

"It was okay," I murmured settling myself on the couch next to him. "The module on Piaget was a bit challenging though."

"I always thought you found him easy what with the quality of your assignments, plus the extra research you have done on him," he said.

"Let's just say I probably would have found it close to impossible to answer if it hadn't been for your help," I said, looking at him with a small smile.

"I highly doubt that, Bella. I'm merely a guide, the brains and knowledge are all your own work," he muttered offering me a cup filled with tea.

Alice cast a glance at Jasper who rolled his eyes and continued to browse through a rather thick, leather-bound encyclopedia.

"I didn't see you around campus today." I said innocently, taking a sip of tea.

"I was at the hospital all day, taking a small break from psychology and making a return to the more concrete realm of medicine."

"Psychology isn't always abstract you know," I said eying the glinting necklace on the table, there was also what looked like a large magnifying glass.

"True, but I have always found medicine to be more of a challenge," he said following my gaze and leaning over to retrieve the silver chain from the table, examining it closely. Edward shot him a warning look as he did so.

"She has a right to know, Edward," Carlisle said slowly.

"Nothing more than what she _needs_ to know," Edward replied sternly casting a glance over my perplexed expression.

"You see this symbol here, Bella," Carlisle began, holding up the pyramid shape object that hung from the chain. "It is a Persian talisman, the designs engraved in the center of the triangle."

I squinted down at the minute writing that at appeared to be carved in some sort of unfamiliar symbols.

"What does it say?" I asked, looking between Carlisle and Jasper, who had put down his book to listen intently.

I am a bit rusty at my Farsi, but roughly translated it means the power of an individual's strength is all in the mind," he said simply.

I blinked, feeling slightly surprised, not only at the translation but also at the fact that Carlisle could speak such a language. There were many things about him that I still did not know. My fascination was growing as a dozen questions emerged in my head.

"Does the shape of the talisman itself mean anything?" I asked, as Alice leaned over to pick up another book off the table. Carlisle smiled, apparently pleased at my question.

"It does actually. This is known as a power triangle, ironically enough. It symbolizes the radiating energy from within you," he said, coiling the chain between his fingers.

"It's generally used to assist in developing and strengthening vampire talents," Jasper finished, a small frown lining his face.

"Who would send me such a thing?" I asked before I sipped my tea stalling for the time I needed to reorganize my thoughts.

"Oh that's simple," Alice began, giving Edward an approving look. "It's from the Volturi, probably Aro's idea judging the meaning of it all."

This was making no sense whatsoever. "Okay, first why would the Volturi care about ancient Persian jewelery, and what on earth would make them send it to me?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Aro was always fascinated by the Persians. They were one of the first civilizations to have tales of blood-drinking demons, creatures attempting to drink blood from men and turning them into those of their own kind," Carlisle said thoughtfully, fixing his eyes on me intently.

"By turning them into such demons, a hidden power was revealed that lied dormant during their human life," Edward added, shooting Alice a look.

I remember for a fleeting moment the time I danced with Emil at the ball back in Serbia. He had said that I was basically wasting my time being a human, keeping some sort of power from being explored. The idea of it seemed so ludicrous at the time.

"Is this the reason why the Volturi are after me?" I asked looking from Edward to Alice. "They think I have some hidden power and want me become one of them?"

"We don't know for sure," Alice said hurriedly.

"It makes sense if you consider the prospect of a war with the eastern European clans. Emil was certainly very keen on Bella during our visit there," Carlisle said letting the necklace fall into my hands.

"Emil is keen on anything in skirt, Carlisle, I wouldn't take too much of what he does to heart," Edward said tartly.

"He was continuously going on about how I would be a useful asset to their cause, if I let him change me," I said watching Edward's fists clench.

Alice nodded thoughtfully. "I still haven't seen anything suspicious within the Volturi at all. It really makes no sense."

"It probably isn't a coincidence that something like this turned up not long after your best friend was taken," Carlisle said.

"It's impossible for there to be a link between the nomads and the Volturi," Edward said coolly, glancing at him.

"You shouldn't underestimate them, Edward."

"I think I have spent enough time with them to know how they operate."

"They can easily deceive you, even with your mind reading abilities. You haven't spent as much time with their kind to know them fully," Carlisle said calmly.

"I was only there to protect Bella, not to make friends," Edward said looking over at me his eyes darkening slightly.

"Didn't Aro classify you as his protégé?" Alice asked suddenly, a slightly bemused expression on her face.

Edward grimaced and nodded almost regretfully. The word protégé had sparked a revelation in my mind.

"_I doubt our Guardiano di Sangue will find it amusing if you blabbed about this to his protégé."_

The memory of that night came flooding back as though it was yesterday. I placed my cup back on the table and pocketed the necklace once more.

"Edward," I began taking a deep breath, he raised his eye brows in response returning his gaze upon me.

"Do you know anything about the _Guardiano di Sangue?_" I asked in a rush.

Edward frowned and looked around at the others. "Yes I do, it means blood guardian in Italian. I'm surprised you didn't ask Carlisle, he of all people should know."

"Aro," Carlisle said, looking directly at Edward with a perplexed expression on his face.

Alice gasped and placed a hand over her mouth whilst her brother nodded in reply to Carlisle before turning back to me. "Some of the Volturi like to call him the guardian of the blood, the grand master of the vampires and that sort of thing."

"Why did you say you didn't know when I first asked you?" I asked Carlisle who was frowning at the floor.

"I didn't think it was possible, such a thing wouldn't be his style to do something like this."

"You should never underestimate the Volturi," Edward said in an uncanny impersonation of his creator. Carlisle smirked and nodded, running a hand through his hair.

"Bella, I think we better continue this discussion some other time, it's almost midnight," Alice said after a moment of silence. I glanced up at the clock and was shocked to see the time. Edward rose to his feet at the same time I did, evidently intent on accompanying me back this time.

"Why don't you stay here tonight?" Carlisle offered casually, leaning back in his seat absentmindedly.

Alice pursed her lips in a frown and shot Edward a stare. But his eyes were fixed on Carlisle. In that charged moment, I was intensely curious to know what each of them was thinking.

"It wouldn't look very good if her dorm was left empty all night, Carlisle," Alice said pointedly.

"It's a bit late for anyone to notice," Carlisle said smoothly. "In fact it probably would look more suspicious if she returned at this hour."

Edward narrowed his eyes yet said nothing, though the suspicious expression on his face told me everything I needed to know..

"It's fine, I should go back."

"No, you should stay. It is safer if you do, for tonight anyway." It was Jasper who spoke this time; his eyes were fixed on me with what seemed to be immense curiosity.

After a moment of contemplation I agreed and spent a mostly sleepless night in the spare bedroom.

The thundering sound of rain woke me earlier than, in my opinion, was humanly possible, and being unable to go back to sleep resulted in taking a longer shower.

"Bella?" The voice was so low that I had to do a double take before it registered again.

"A little early for you isn't it?" Carlisle asked, watching my progress down the stairs, after having spent a good half hour in the shower.

"I don't sleep well during thunder storms," I said, shrugging and glancing around the place.

"They are irritating," he mused with a small smile.

I squeezed past him into the deserted kitchen and helped myself to coffee. I felt appreciative that his immediate conclusion wasn't that I was scared of the thunder storms.

"Where is everyone?" I asked, leaning against the counter.

"Out," he said entwining his fingers with mine. "Hunting, I came back early to see if you were alright"

"You are well satisfied then?" I asked, placing my cup down on the counter allowing him to pull me in closer.

"Not entirely, I need a little extra something," he said wrapping his arms around my waist.

"I'm sure I can oblige _in that_ department," I managed to say before his lips captured mine forcefully. My entire body reacted instantly as though an electric current had been conducted through me; his hand seemed to be in all the right places at once. For a few seconds a vivid image of the dream flashed through my mind. I paused and then broke away, taking a few steps back breathing a little too quickly. I couldn't get carried away, not just yet; we'd only been together for a few weeks.

"Is there something bothering you, Bella?" Carlisle said looking at me closely. How was it possible for him to know me so well? And what on earth was I suppose to tell him? That, apart from exams, death threats from vampires and the Volturi coven being after me, I was trying not to let my lustful fantasies get the better of me?

"I was just thinking," I said biding my time to try and come up with a good excuse. "Is my blood in any way appetizing to you?"

That was a good cover up, but come to think of it the question seemed pretty appropriate considering that this was the second vampire who _desired_ me.

Carlisle placed his hand in front of his mouth and stared at the ground with a thoughtful expression. I took this moment of silence to get some breakfast prepared. But Carlisle never answered the question, moments later the others had returned, and I was immediately escorted back to the campus by Edward.t.

Alice had refrained from saying anything but frequently threw me a look of disdain. I wondered briefly how both Carlisle and Alice had managed to keep their thoughts of the situation away from Edward. We hadn't spoken much of the note or the talisman; I was given constant reassurance that everything was under control and that I need not get involved.

"I don't know if you have noticed recently, but I'm kind of in the middle of all this," I had said the evening before my final exam as we walked back from the library. My mood had been particularly upbeat during most of the week; Carlisle was lingering around campus more often than usual, and I had taken the advantage of spending any free time I had with him in his office. We talked for long periods of time about the many topics that piqued our interest; politics, literature and the revelations with the Volturi and the nomads. We also discussed the notes I had received, the strange link between myself and the Volturi, and what I was planning to do after graduation.

I had gotten into the habit of asking him as many questions as possible, everything from his human life in England to his adventures around Europe and the connection he still had with his faith and his religion. This had led to Carlisle stating in a comical fashion that it was like having lunch with the Riddler.

"Can I help it if you're so fascinating?" I had said during one afternoon where I was sitting across from his desk and indulging in chocolate covered strawberries. "And besides you seem to frequently ask me questions in return."

"That is purely for psychoanalytical purposes," he said with an innocent smile.

"And you think my motivates aren't for the same reasons?" I asked in mock indignation.

"Well-" Carlisle began as he rose from his seat and strolled around the other side of the desk to kneel down beside my chair. He then siezed the opportunity and randomly planted a long kiss on my lips. "I did have my doubts, but since you're a psychologist in training..." He kissed me again. "I'll let you off the hook."

"Thank you," I said giving him a sly grin. I continuously found myself leaving his study breathing rapidly and feeling as though my head was spinning.

It had got to the point where Edward had asked me if I needed something to relax men. He was under the impression that it was all due to exam stress.

Alice, on the other hand, had become increasingly attentive towards me. She had started spending as much time as possible with me and Edward; it wasn't as bad as it could have been though. His time with the Volturi had not changed him in the slightest, particularly in the way he behaved with me.

"Concentrate on your exams; it is safer if you leave the situation to us," he said walking slightly ahead of me towards my dorm. "I can't believe the others have let you know this much already," Edward added.

"You don't think I have a right to know what is going on?" I asked coolly. "I mean, you still haven't told me anything about that strange note I received."

"There isn't much I can tell you seeing as I haven't figured it out yet, neither has Alice for that matter. She believes it is a riddle of some sort. We can deal with it; but in the mean time, Bella, for your own sake, please avoid getting involved too much. The danger is greater now," he said glancing at me, concern lining his expression.

"I've survived this long, and I'm not sure if you are aware but my best friend has been taken by one of them."

"Yes I know and it is best if you keep well clear ofthis until we have it under control."

"Believe me I would like nothing better than to keep clear, but given the circumstances so far that seems impossible," I muttered, stopping in the doorway, bidding him thanks and a quick goodnight, hoping I could just escape to my dorm.

"Bella, wait a second," Edward said in a low voice, stopping my progress by closing his hand around my arm gently. I turned to meet his gaze, my face set in a quizzical expression.

"I wanted to ask you something. It's about you and Carlisle," he said, releasing me from his grasp..

_Uh oh. _"Yes?" I asked, folding my arms and leaning against the door way.

"It's just… you seem to spend a lot of time together," he said with an awkward smile.

"Well he is my professor," I said simply.

Edward frowned and gazed down at the ground for a moment contemplating his words.

"I know, but I'm talking about outside the fields of education, whenever I see you it's always when you're with him."

"What's your point?"

"I was just wondering how you two came about being such close friends. I mean before I left, you and Alice were inseparable and now it's…" he broke off and frowned at the ground. _I knew it. He was on to us, but what did it matter if he was. Why were we keeping this a secret from him?_

"Alice and I are still friends. Although you should bear in mind, Edward, that you left almost three years ago. You can't expect things to simply return to what they were," I said coolly.

"I know but-" he began to say, but I managed to cut across him, the direction he was going in was all too obvious.

"But what? You know better than anyone what a person is thinking, has Carlisle given you any reason to think there is anything going on?"

Edward frowned and shook his head. "I wasn't implying anything Bella. I trust Carlisle completely, just like I trust you. "

I gave him a weak smile. "Then you have nothing to worry about then do you?"

Edward looked at me, his eyes searching my own as though he was trying desperately to read my mind. "I guess not." He turned to leave, but almost impulsively I grabbed his arm to stop him.

"What if there was something, hypothetically speaking?" I said quickly.

Edward's eyes narrowed. "Something between you and _my father,_ Bella?" He placed heavy emphasis on the father part, and that made me realize immediately that I was in no position to say anything. "That's not possible Bella; Carlisle wouldn't _ever go back on his promise."_

"His promise?" I blinked. "What promise?"

Edward's expression went suddenly blank as though he had just fallen back to earth with a bump. "Nothing, nothing. I'd better go let you get some rest. Goodnight, Bella." And then he was gone.

I lied awake for what felt like hours afterward, not wanting to fall asleep again in order to avoid the dream. It was only when the alarm clock rang out for the third time in a row, after I had hit the snooze button, did I finally get up and contemplate taking a cold shower. Some thirty minutes later I was fully dressed in black skinny jeans, a fuchsia "V" neck sweater and a knee length jacket with scarf. Breakfast was a hurried affair for I only had ten minutes to get to the exam hall.

"There you are." It was Alice's voice that called across the campus rather than the usual tone of Edward; for once he was nowhere to be seen.

"Did you sleep in or something?" she asked, hurrying to walk beside me.

"Kind of," I said sheepishly moving past a group of chattering freshmen. "What's going on?"

"A lot is going on, but everything is a bit unclear at the moment," Alice said running a hand through her perfectly curled shoulder length hair.

"Have you seen something to do with the Volturi or Victoria and Laurent? Is it Charlotte?" I asked hurriedly.

"It's a bit of everything actually, but none of it makes any sense. Bella, I need you to do me a favor, after your exam is finished. Edward is going to take you back to the house and I want you to stay there."

I narrowed my eyes slightly for it sounded a lot like another ploy to try and set me up with Edward again.

"Why?"

"Something is going to happen and I need you to be safe when it does," Alice said looking slightly harassed.

"Okay fine, but what's going to happen?"

"Bella, we haven't got time for this, Edward will explain everything later I'm sure, just please do as he says and don't run off anywhere."

I nodded as we reached the exam hall the other students having already gone inside.

"Thank you, now I've gotta run and find Carlisle. Good luck, Bella," she said throwing her arms around me in a quick hug before speeding off towards the gates. My mind was racing as I sat down at my desk two minutes later, and I had to close my eyes to rid any thought of Alice or the rest of the Cullens and get set for a long period of essay writing as was the usual custom in English exams.

Three hours later I emerged out and into the rain soaked grounds; the sky above was excessively dark with heavy thunder clouds. My wrist was aching from all the writing I had done, and it was with quiet relief that Edward took my bag from my shoulder and led me back to the house as the rain began to fall once again.

"Congratulations!" he said opening the front door for me and accompanying me inside.

"I haven't graduated yet," I said, removing my jacket and scarf before heading into the kitchen, which was oddly unoccupied..

"Still, you successfully completed a university;, it's a great achievement," Edward said taking a seat on a stool.

"You sound like my dad," I muttered, opening the fridge and taking out a bottle of water. "Where is everyone by the way?"

"Out. Alice wants them to be prepared," he said avoiding eye contact.

"Prepared for what exactly?"

"It's best if you don't know just yet," Edward said resting his arm on the counter and gesturing towards a small pot that was simmering on the stove. "Rosalie made that for you in case you wanted lunch."

"I'm not going to stay here for no reason, Edward," I said, examining the pot filled with what looked like homemade tomato and basil soup; the smell was so delicious that I hurriedly poured an ample helping into a bowl and settled down across the counter from Edward, who was smiling slightly.

"You'll stay for the food of course," he said carefully.

I rolled my eyes and took a sip of soup. "I can always go when I'm finished."

Edward shook his head, his golden eyes twinkling slightly.

"You want to know? Fine, Alice has seen the Nomads planning an ambush or something of that kind. For your own sake we need you to stay here until they have sorted it out.

"Why aren't you out there with them?" I asked slowly.

"Someone needs to be here with you. And since everyone, including Carlisle, is preoccupied, I volunteered."

The sound of his name brought the vivid memory of the dream back into my mind again and I hurriedly looked down at the half empty soup bowl feeling the blood flow to my cheeks.

"I'll have to go back sometime though," I said finally.

"You will once Alice has given the all clear."

The rest of the afternoon went slowly and I had spent most of it trying to figure of the note I had been left with the talisman. Edward continued insisting that it was a riddle of some kind; I maintained my opinion that it was an anagram and continuously rearranged the letters trying to make sense of them. Edward remained silent for a good period of the time I was there.

My constant pacing around the house did nothing to improve the situation; I ventured to explore the many book shelves that lined half the wall of what Carlisle liked to call the "musical library." The room was wide and rectangular with light apple green walls; a cream color silk rug lay in the center upon a walnut wood floor, and Edward's piano stood in the corner by the window next to an acoustic guitar and a violin.

"Do you remember the lullaby?" Edward asked from the doorway, watching as I traced my fingers along the piano keys.

"Parts of it," I said not looking up.

"Perhaps I can refresh your memory." He walked over to the piano and seated himself on the bench, patting the spot next to him indicating for me to sit. I hurriedly collected a red leather bound photo album from one of the many shelves and sat beside him, absentmindedly flicking through pages of old photographs of the Cullens, some many decades old.

"Can I ask you something?" Edward said suddenly as he increased the tempo of the song.

"Sure," I murmured, staring at a photograph of Carlisle dressed in a circa 1950 suit and looking very attractive.

"If you could have anything in the world what would it be, and why?" Edward asked leaning over my shoulder as he played.

I paused for a moment before looking up to meet his gaze. "I would want to be a vampire," I said simply.

Edward nodded thoughtfully. "You haven't changed that much then."

"It would be better for everyone if I just-"

"Became eternally damned? Bella, surely you can't want-" Edward began with a small smirk curling his lips.

"I will never stop wanting it Edward." I said seriously and resuming my examination of the photo album.

The music continued for a while longer filling the silence until he stopped abruptly to look at me once more.

"I could turn you," he said in a rush staring in to my eyes with a quizzical expression. "It seems that you're ready to become one and according to Carlisle there isn't much stopping the change."

I raised my eyes brows closing the photo album and placing it on top of the piano. "You would turn me?"

"If you want," Edward said with a small smile.

"What's the catch?" I asked, folding my arms. I knew him all too well when it came to his feeling on turning humans into undead creatures.

"Always so suspicious," he said slowly shaking his head.

"No, Edward, I just know you too well," I muttered darkly.

"Well you would have to become _my wife_ first."

I blinked several times making sure I had heard him correctly; for a brief moment there was silence as I tried to find words.

"Edward, what are you doing?" I asked finally.

"Offering you my hand and eternal life," he said, taking my hand in his icy cold one and squeezing it gently. "This is how serious I am about you and me, Bella."

I pushed his hand away and stood up, walking a few paces about the room, shaking my head. I felt numb again, overwhelmed by a mixture of anger and regret. Alice had no doubt seen this coming and I was sure that was the reason for this mysterious safety precaution.

"Edward, you can't just-" I began to say but he had risen to his feet and halted my pacing to stand face to face with me, a determined glint in his eyes. "You can't just ask me to marry out of the blue. I mean you just can't; it's wrong and inappropriate." I needed to stop talking. Now.

"Bella, let me be to you what I should have been all those years ago. There is no one else in the world I want more than you. For ninety something years I have been a lost soul, and then I found you. Suddenly life had meaning again."

I couldn't do this. I had to get out of here. It was all too much. "Stop it," I half yelled running a hand through my hair in an effort to collect my thoughts. It seemed my body was shaking, whether it was from shock or anger I didn't know , all I did know was that I had to get out of there.

"Bella," he said, placing a finger under my chin and lifting my face up to meet his.

"I will never abandon you again; let me help you in healing the wounds I left you with."

"It has nothing to do with that." I said forcefully, pushing his hand away and taking a few steps back. "Edward, I can't marry you."

"May I ask why?" he said slowly, looking at me intently.

"Because... I can't." The truth was hanging on the tip of my tongue and sounding loudly in my head. The room took on an icy aura aand I was of half a mind to run out the door. Edward said nothing, merely stared, most likely contemplating what to do next.

"That doesn't really answer the question, Bella," he said finally.

I covered my face in my hands and turned away, trying as hard as I could to speak and just say the words that would hopefully end this.

"I had no idea you were afraid of commitment," he said somewhat bemused.

"That has got nothing to do with it."

"Please don't lie, Bella, you have never been any good at it," he said with a heavy sigh.

"I'm not lying," I said in half a whisper. "I can't marry you because I don't love you."

Edward frowned and ran a hand through his hair. "I see, so may I ask with whom exactly are you in love with?"

I blinked and stared at him questioningly. "I don't think I'm in love with anyone." My eyes shifted to stare at the ground in attempt to avoid his intense gaze.

"Jasper believes that you are and he is never wrong about emotions," Edward said coolly.

I bit my lip in an attempt to try and figure out what was going on exactly. Jasper was an empathy and could effectively control the emotions of others. In the past I had marveled at how he managed to avoid being an emotional wreck with different feelings going on around him, not only in his own clan but in the outside world as well.

"Jasper thinks I'm in love with someone?"

"He feels a great sense of it whenever he is near you. At first I thought it was because of me, but I can see now that I am mistaken," He said slowly before walking over and closing the lid of the piano. "So, Bella, who do you love so much that it has caused even Jasper to become distracted." The question seemed to burn right through me. I maintained a firm silence, organizing my thoughts, trying to find a reason to explain Jasper's apparent perception of me.

I was grateful when, a few seconds later, the telephone rang and Edward hurried off, leaving me alone in the room.

My chance had come; I could easily slip out whilst he was preoccupied. I could go back to my dorm and remain there; at least I would be alone and away from the situation with Edward. I crept out of the room and hurried down the corridor towards the front door. Edward seemed to be speaking to Alice in the other room and I had a suspicion that she might have seen my decision. I grabbed my coat and scarf and sprinted out the door at full speed, which in my case wasn't that fast at all. The sky was growing dark now and the icy wind felt razor sharp against my face; I made good progress and within minutes I back in the campus grounds.

How long would it take for him to realize that I had gone? I didn't want to think about it at present. The numbness still remained even though my heart was thundering within my chest, the distance voices of the other students about the campus seemed a million miles away. I barely registered the sound of my name being called from nearby the gates until I looked up and saw a familiar figure standing across the grounds, her auburn hair looking wilder than I had ever seen it before.

"Charlotte?" I called increasing my pace.

"Hello, Isabella." Her voice was slightly higher than it usually was and I couldn't help but feel think that Charlotte was no longer a human.

"Where have you been? Everyone has been so worried, your parents keep harassing the police and-"

Charlotte gave a small laugh and shook her head. "So much trouble for me?" She sighed and seemed to be taking in the scent of the air. "Well I suppose I owe _you_ an explanation. Come here I want you to see something."

I paused cautiously, not sure whether or not to follow her as she began to walk backwards out of the gates.

"Its okay, Bella, you can trust me. I'm still the same old Charlotte," she said, grinning as she slipped out of the slightly ajar gate and out into the street. I followed, keeping a good distance between us, one hand slipped inside my pocket and tightened around my cell phone.

"Charlotte where are we going?" I asked, hoping that Alice was aware of what was happening or that at least that one of the Cullens was close by. Charlotte said nothing, merely smiled, and continued walking towards the main street opposite a large park. She stopped suddenly in a shadowy corner of the road and looked at me calmly, her eyes were still the same color, yet they looked more artificial, and I pondered whether or not she was wearing contact lenses.

"I want you to trust me, Bella; I know that can be a bit difficult for you considering what the Cullens have told you."

I frowned and kept my finger hovering over the speed dial for Carlisle. "What are you talking about?"

"You'll see," she said with a smile. "Just relax." Her eyes moved to something behind me. Realization hit me too late as the figure of Laurent crept slowly out from behind me, his crimson eyes gleaming.

"Excellent work, Charlotte," he said, beckoning a familiar red headed figure over to us,_ Victoria_.

"We've finally got her." That was the last thing I heard before I felt a wave painful numbness engulf me and something sharp was plunged into my arm. I felt myself fall and the darkness of unconsciousness swept over me, my hand slipping from my pocket and weightlessness taking over me completely. I was gone.

~To be continued.

_Thoughts?_


	13. Chapter 13 Undisclosed Agenda

**Hello! I bring you all another chapter one have been working on for a while since the start of the story, and this time the point of view will be in the Doctor's so you all have a change to explore his mind set.**

**I just want to say a big thank you! To everyone who reviewed and subscribed to this story, I am so grateful to you all!**

**(Edited)**

**Chapter 13: The Undisclosed Agenda**

**CPOV**

_"Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall"_

~ W. Shakespeare

"Don't you have anything better to do Alice?" I muttered, glancing at my watch as I walked out into the garage and unlocked my Mercedes.

"I am losing my patience with this game you're playing, Carlisle," she said, following me in.

"I'm not playing any games," I said coolly, throwing my case in the back and settling into the driver's seat. Alice had already managed to occupy herself in the passenger seat, her arms folded and with a look of determined displeasure on her face.

"You promised me that you wouldn't do anything and here you are sneaking behind Edward's back and dating, Bella."

I sighed and gave her an exasperated glance. The only reason for me keeping everything a secret from Edward was to prevent both him and Bella from undue harm. I knew in hindsight it was wrong, and I was breaking a valuable promise I made to him, but I just couldn't stop. I had tried to on many occasions but had always ended up failing. It seemed I had met my downfall in Isabella Swan.

"The matter is none of your concern," I said in a resolute tone; it was just past seven in the morning, and I was due in at the hospital in a half an hour for a session with diabetic patient.

"How can you say that when my best friend and brother are concerned? You are clearly deluding yourself with the fact that something good can come out of this affair."

"I am not having an affair with her, Alice; neither of us are involved with anyone." The clock was moving faster than usual, if I didn't leave now I would be horribly late.

"She belongs with Edward!" Her voice echoed about the garage like a shrill bell.

"Bella is her own person, not a piece of property." I switched on the ignition and reversed out into the quiet street, a faint cloud of mist was hovering over the ground.

"You're not going to stop are you?" she asked as I accelerated down the road and turned a corner. The mere idea of ending my relationship with Bella left an undesirable taste in my mouth. The only way that it would end was if Bella decided to end it and, from what I had experienced, I doubt that she was planning to do anything of the sort.

"Alice, this has nothing to do with you, and I mean this in the kindest way I can manage; please mind your own business. Bella is a grown woman and can decide her future for herself." An image of her face flashed in my mind and the road drifted slightly from my focus. For a while she had been the main cause of all my distractions, all of which had been positive in more ways than one. Alice remained silent until I reached the staff parking lot; I sat watching the clock and waited, having plenty of minutes to spare.

"Are you going to follow me around all day? I don't mind, but I fear you won't be able to control yourself at the sight of blood."

Alice shifted in her seat fingering the door handle, frowning absently. "Just stay away from Bella, Carlisle. I don't want to do this but if you continue whatever you have with her, I guarantee it will lead to serious repercussions. Please think of the Volturi and don't let yourself be blinded by your lust."

"Lust? Alice you know me better than that."

_It was so much more than mere lust._

"I don't think I do. The _Carlisle_ I know would never, ever betray his own son."

"I'm not sleeping with her, Alice."

She flashed me a glare and said in an icy whisper, "You don't need to be sleeping with Bella to be betraying Edward. Kissing her is bad enough."

And before I could say another word she tugged at the door, opening it forcefully and slamming it shut before hurrying away to visit Bella before her final exam. Alice was always somewhat predictable in her actions. Today of all days Bella did not need such distractions, she had enough of them already with Edward, who had been accompanying her all day during her time on campus.

My pager sounded and broke my line of thought. I had to focus; something medicine required beyond anything was a hundred percent concentration and given my chemistry, I had to apply more effort than was typically necessary.

Despite my role as psychology professor at MIT, I could not escape my first profession. I had to make sure that I could continue fulfilling my true calling. For me medicine was not simply a job, it was a vocation, one I had been destined to follow. It was my pure stubborn resolve that had enabled me to get this far, defeat the odds and evolve the potential of my kind. I was probably the first vampire doctor in history and what was even more ironic is that I had defied all typical behavior, even that of Aro, the oldest member of our kind in existence. My fists clenched as I thought of him and the bitter betrayal that lingered between us. It had been nearly two years since he had commanded his guard to annihilate Esme; it was a terrible thing to watch her be destroyed, helpless to save her..

After her death I had lost myself completely, separating from the others and retreating to the Swiss Alps. It was there that my thoughts had wandered to the fate of Bella since our departure from Forks. I found myself missing her and the conversations we had before things had turned bad on her birthday. I always found it easy to speak to her about any issue, no matter how delicate it was and she always understood me without me having to go into too much detail.

It was Jasper who had come to my aid, reminded me of who I was and had been, how by being this way I was betraying Esme's memory. I recovered somewhat, though the pain never entirely subsided. Jasper had become almost a brother to me. He had been the most supportive and understanding of anyone else in the clan and continued to be respectful, even where Bella is concerned. As I made my way down the white washed corridor, marveling at the many hours that had passed since Alice had left and my role had begun.

It was so easy to lose myself in examinations and diagnosis, yet all the while Bella remained in my thoughts; haunting me in the back of my mind. The sight of a pair of chocolate brown eyes or the whisper of dark hair ignited an image of her in my mind.

I had changed considerably since I had arrived here all those months ago, my character had altered somewhat to a more determined and forceful being, it happened when I first rediscovered Bella at MIT. Her eyes were wide with shock and confusion and her delicate, light pink lips parted in reserved delight. I felt something awaken within me, something I thought I would never feel again. I disregarded it at first, thinking nothing of it. The more time I spent with her, however, I found myself becoming more entranced by her. She had changed so much from the Bella I knew back in Forks. The clumsy and self conscious elements of her character had faded, leaving a confident and determined individual, demonstrating purity and elegance.

"Dr. Cullen, we have a patient here with upper abdominal discomfort and frequent shortness of breath," the head nurse said as I came into the room to find a dark haired woman with piercing green eyes propped upright on pillows. I glanced at her chart and frowned slightly.

"Have you been having any fainting spells Mrs. Coffey?" I asked.

"Yes, now and then," she said wheezing.

"Would this be during periods of excitement or strenuous exercise?"

Mrs. Coffey nodded slowly. I hurriedly scribbled a note on the chart before handing it to the nurse.

"I need a chest X-ray and an EKG stat," I said calmly.

"Any ideas on what may be causing this, Dr. Cullen?" Mrs. Coffey asked slowly.

"It could be Aortic Stenosis, but I won't be sure until we do some tests. No need to worry Mrs. Coffey; you're in good hands here." I reassured with a small smile before exiting the room.

Though I had been a doctor for over a century , the challenge and general buzz had never faltered. Each and every patient, no matter how many times I had come across the same symptoms, was a new experience for me and tested my medical knowledge. Bella had always been interested in my profession and had continuously asked questions at every available opportunity.

_"You can't perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation can you?" she had asked during her free periods from class in my study._

_"Obviously no, since I don't breath," I replied as I reorganized my lecture notes._

_"So how do you get out of doing it then, surely it's required of a doctor to perform such a procedure on and then," she asked resting her chin on her hand and smiling bemusedly._

_"We have equipment to deal with such a situation, a ventilation bag for instance. Believe me, Bella, I wouldn't be a doctor today if I didn't have some other technique." I gave her a grin._

Our conversations were always lengthy and animated. Her tastes in simple things matched mine, from music to political values. She quizzed me constantly on what it was like living through two world wars, whether I had met any famous historical figures, and about my life with the Volturi. I began, unconsciously, to grow more attached to her. The night she was attacked I realized that I was falling for her and I hated myself for it.

Esme had been the only one -by our nature there was only ever one specific person for us - and the attraction for Bella made no sense whatsoever, it was wrong in so many ways, especially where Edward was concerned. Alice continuously reminded me of that matter; she had seen this coming early on and had even warned me of it. I attempted to cast it aside and control it, but my thoughts were dominated by her. Whenever I saw her it felt like a missing piece inside me had been filled, a piece that I had no idea existed. I pursued the idea that she would not feel the same way in an effort to rid such desires, but the reckless side of me wanted to bring her to my level, make her feel for me what I felt for her. It was, as Aro once told me, vampire instinct. I blame that solely for my losing control when we were in Serbia, spending endless amounts of time with her and then there was the ball. Everything about her had pushed me to my breaking point, and I knew that there was no going back.

My ward rounds were practically over, though my diabetic patient was being excessively difficult, insisting that he did not required insulin and could control his blood glucose by diet only.

"You have tried that on several occasions, Mr. Thompson, but you always end up in here every week," I said with half a smile.

Mr. Thompson, a tall olive skinned man in his mid twenties had an attitude of detestable arrogance. He rolled his eyes as I spoke. "Listen, Doc, I can handle it this time, just don't put me on insulin injections."

I folded my arms frowning slightly. "I would like to believe you can "handle it," but you've been in here so frequently for this very reason. If you don't start taking responsibly for your illness, the next time you won't be so lucky."

He gave a heavy sigh and nodded. "I know, but I have a phobia of needles."

"We can sort something out for you," I began to say when the door of the patient's room flew open.

"Dr. Cullen, I'm sorry to bother you but your niece is on line one. She said it was an emergency."

_Why on earth would Alice be calling me here?_

I nodded and hurried after her before telling my patient I'd return in a moment.

"Alice, what can I do for you?" I sighed into the phone, leaning against the reception desk.

"They've got her!"

I froze knowing what was coming, dread began engulfing me as Alice continued at full speed.

"Charlotte tracked her down and now Laurent and Victoria have her. I can't believe she left the house when Edward was there, what was she thinking?" Alice made an irritated noise down the phone. "They've have taken her to some vacant warehouse a few blocks away from the university, behind the park."

"I'm on my way." I hurriedly hung up the phone and sprinted down the corridor and out the automatic door to the parking lot. Usually I drove within the legal speed limit and had only taken advantage of the Mercedes' full power on empty country road, but tonight I put my foot down. Within ten minutes I had reached the destination and parked off in a side road behind Emmett's jeep and Edward's Volvo.

"There you are," Alice said from the side gate of the park. "Come quickly we've got the out building surrounded but I'm not sure how many of them there are inside."

"You haven't got Bella yet?" I exclaimed, somewhat astonished as I raced across the park with her towards the gray stone building at the far end.

"We've only just arrived, Carlisle. I rang you while Jasper drove us here."

I could see the others scattered around and crouching low near the doorway of an abandoned building with heavily stained walls and a sloping triangular roof. The scent of her was everywhere, triggering my anxiety. Edward was glaring at the door, evidently using all his strength to prevent himself from bursting in. In his presence I had to maintain my thoughts, it was too risky to let something slip.

"Okay on the count of three-" Jasper said in a hurried whisper. "Rosalie and Emmett you get in via the side doors on the far end. Alice and I will take the front entrance and you two." He motioned to Edward and me at the narrow back door.

I nodded and cast a glance at Alice who was positioning herself in a crouch, ready to attack.

"Well be in charge of getting Bella out and away to safety." I motioned to Edward who nodded, his eyes still fixed on the doorway listening.

"And we will hold off the nomads," Jasper said in agreement. "Alright, one, two, THREE!"

I hurtled myself against the door, Edward closely behind me and the pair of us burst in. It was clear that we had managed to out number them, for there were only three wild looking new born members, including Charlotte, and Laurent and Victoria.

Slam. Edward was knocked backwards by a swift kick from the flaming redhead , her red eyes gleamed with delight as she flung herself at me next. I sent her flying, in one quick blow with my arm, across the room and she smashed against the wall to be blocked by Rosalie.

I ducked as a newborn threw himself at me and landed with a sickening smack into the cold concrete ground. She was definitely here; the scent of her was intoxicating and close.

"You're a bit late I am afraid," Laurent called over, dodging a kick from Jasper.

"She's not dead!" Edward screamed over tearing off an arm of second new born who screamed in fury and charged at him.

"No, but no doubt she will be soon." Laurent chuckled, throwing himself out of the way of an oncoming attack from Edward. Rosalie bounded forward, her clothes spattered with blood, the remains of a newborn lay in a scattered pile behind her.

"I saw Charlotte take her out to the park I think," she said.

Snap. Victoria gave a scream of pain and fell backwards as Alice cleaning removed her hand in a swift motion.

"That's for biting my husband," she chimed, diving for her once more as she rounded on Edward, who had been making his way to the back door that lead out into the park.

I sprinted past the pair of the pair of them locked in a tight grip, the door was mere inches away when Laurent's arms hit me squarely in the chest and knocked me back against the wall, it shuddered under the impact and a lengthy crack appeared.

"You're rusty, Carlisle." He grinned.

"That's what you think," I muttered, ducking another blow aimed at my head. Then, throwing myself against Laurent, I sent us both crashing to the floor. I locked my fingers around his neck in a tight grip, one simple motion and Laurent would be no more.

"It makes no different if you kill me," Laurent gasped in to effort to free himself. "They will have already taken her."

"Who?" I said hurriedly.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"The Volturi, Carlisle, they're coming for her!" Alice yelled, as she was slammed against the wall by Victoria, in the noise I could not help but here the faint distance familiar scream.

_Bella_

"Go, I'll finish him," Emmett said darting forward. I got to my feet and ran full speed at the closed door just as Edward, who was attempting once again to follow, was knocked sideways by a newborn.

The park looked deserted as I ran across the damp grass and through the scattered, low hanging trees. The vivid outline of a familiar shadow emerged beside a drooping willow tree. I charged forward, crashing through several bushes to the figure lying motionless on the ground, the low thud of a heartbeat filling my ears as I moved forward. The outline of three dark figures emerged and crouched beside her; if they had had harmed her in any fashion I would not be responsible for my actions. My fangs sharpened behind my lips as I rushed towards them.

"If you can't do it, Charlotte, stand aside and let one of us," A rough voice of an unfamiliar nomad said sharply.

"I won't let you do this to her!" Charlotte's voice rang out shrilly laced with panic. "She's my best friend and I won't." But she never had a chance to finish her sentence as a wider sized vampire smacked her squarely across the face, knocking her aside.

"We have our orders, they will be here in any minute and-"

I didn't wait for the sentence to be finished, I came to the quick realization as I saw the injection needle hovering over Bella's chest, where her heart was located; they were going to try and change her.

_They'd have to get past me first!_

I threw myself on the two, missing Charlotte by inches and smashing the nomads into the damp grass. The neck of the roughed voice nomad cracked instantly upon impact and he rolled lifeless from my grasp. The other, a tall figure with jet black hair tied in a ponytail, sprang forward bearing blood stained fangs. An unexpected fury stirring within me, the creature that I was had begun to dominate. Slowly, I drew myself up to his level and narrowly spotted the glinting metal of a heavy dagger in the nomad's hand.

"What the… Professor Cullen?" Charlotte's high, cold voice sounded shrilly across the park.

"Look after Bella for me," I said hurriedly as the sound of a low moan escaped her lips unexpectedly. I glanced at her briefly and in then moment of distraction failed to avoid the impact of Adam throwing himself on me and knocking me to the ground. The tip of the blade pressed against my throat, his red eyes fixed on the mine with a sense of satisfaction.

"I'm going to make you beg for death," he said in a heavy voice. The blade began to slide into my side and pain seared like a white-hot flame had been held against my skin.

"Adam, NO!" Charlotte flung herself upon him, knocking him aside; the blade lodged in the grass inches from my hand. I sprang up feeling the cut heal and I grabbed the dagger, hurrying to Charlotte who was wrestling with him. Her hands locked around his arms.

"Charlotte, let him go," I said, kneeling down to restrain her slightly.

Snap. A scream of pain escaped him as Adam's hand was snapped backwards. Charlotte jumped backwards at the sound, releasing him, her eyes wide in shock.

I hung above Adam's agonized face, the blade beside his neck. "It doesn't have to be this way," I said slowly.

Adam gazed up a resigned look over his menacing face. "When I'm done finishing you, precious Isabella will be next."

It was instant; the blade swung in a swift arc and severed his head. I fell back against the grass casting the blade aside and looking up to meet Charlotte's gaze.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," I said carefully.

Charlotte nodded carefully. "He had it coming."

"Nobody deserves this," I replied easing myself up and over to Bella. Her eyes were closed and a faint whisper of a peaceful smile lined her lips. She remained almost completely motionless except for the faint rise and fall of her chest. I wrapped my arms around her figure and lifted her up upon my knees, checking her pulse briefly.

"Professor Cullen?" Charlotte said again, shock lining her voice.

"You can call me Carlisle," I said hastily. "I think we are way past the formal titles."

She crawled over to me and nodded with apologetic crimson eyes.

"What have they given her?" I asked, looking back down at Bella's peaceful countenance.

"Some kind of drug, novocaine, I think. Laurent said he would use something that would knock her out for about an hour or so."

"Why didn't he just change her?" I couldn't bring myself to ask why they hadn't killed her as Victoria had intended.

"They just wanted to keep her quiet until-" she began to say.

"Until the Volturi came?" I finished.

Charlotte nodded her expression puzzled. "Aro, he's desperate to have her in Volturi, and he said he would tear us apart limb from limb if anything happened to her. So the others knocked her out."

"I have to get her out of here," I said scooping Bella up in my arms and rising to my feet. A low moan escaped her lips and her eye lids shifted slightly in a faint attempt to open.

"Charlotte, I need you to take Adam's body inside, it has to be burned along with the others."

"They're in that warehouse right?" Charlotte asked, walking towards Adam, a slightly apprehensive look on her face.

I nodded and adjusted Bella in my arms before setting off across the deserted park, muffled voices could be heard from the distant warehouse, behind it was a large cloud of black smoke ascending into the night sky.

_Whose body was being burned? _I pondered. The others had to be alright, but then again wouldn't one of them have come to check on Bella? If the fight was over why hang back, it would take only two of us maximum to gather the bodies and start the fire. Edward and Emmett alone could manage it, but what if one of them, Alice perhaps, had been destroyed. I shook my head and gazed down at Bella as she stirred and within a second her eyes had flashed open, blinking furiously to get use to the darkness.

"Carlisle?" she said in a faint whisper, raising a hand to touch my cheek.

"I'm here, my love." The relief was washing over me now, calming the torrent of negative thoughts engulfing my mind.

"I knew you would come," she gasped out and as I looked down I saw the trace of a smile on her lips. "Where's everyone else?"

"Fighting Laurent and the others last time I saw them. But I think it's over now." I turned slightly enabling her to see the billowing smoke.

Bella frowned slightly and squinted into the distance beyond a dense clump of bushes. "Where are you taking me?"

"Away from here Bella, the Volturi-" I began to say, but she cut across me in a lame attempt to free herself.

"Yes, yes I know the Volturi are on their way. I just need to walk and stretch my legs please."

I sighed and set her down, keeping a firm hand on her waist to hold her steady.

"How do you know they're coming?"

Bella's expression became slightly sheepish and resolute. "I heard Laurent and Victoria earlier when they were bring me here. They kept arguing about whether to change me before they gave me to them."

"What?"

"Come on, why do you think they were so hell bent on getting me? To pack me off to the Volturi of course. I think the plan was that they, and by they I mean the nomads, would act like a decoy for you and the others, while a member of the Volturi could come and just take me away, nice and easy without any confrontation. With Alice in mind hey knew it would have to be a last minute decision on their part. All they needed was to get me by myself for a while."

I raised my eyes brows, frowning slightly as we walked at a slower pace down the park, the gates edging ever closer. It did make perfect sense and even provided an explanation in to why they turned Charlotte, to get her to lure Bella way from us. But why would Victoria spend so much time in getting Bella if it was only to pass her off to another coven? There would be no personal gain an no opportunity to avenge James's death.

Before I could react, a shot of flaming red hair flashed past my eyes and I felt myself being thrown hard upon the concrete pathway a few feet from where Bella was standing.

"Your little whore is very clever isn't she?" The high, cold voice of Victoria said with malice, exerting her whole weight upon me and pinning me down to the ground.

"It's a pity she won't be able to share more of her little facts with you."

I focused all my efforts into freeing myself allowing the anger that was boiling within me to fuel my strength. Victoria leaned down, fangs bared towards my neck.

"Get off him!" Bella screamed grabbing a mass of her red hair and pulling it back.

"Bella, no!"

Victoria let out a yell of pain and fell back, rounding on Bella who had let go and was now taking several steps back, her fists clenched. The sight stirred the fiery riot of emotions I had for her, risking herself, her mortal existence, for me. I was on my feet crouching low behind Victoria, who seemed to have forgotten about me, chuckled delicately as she edged closer to Bella.

"Attacking a vampire, and here I thought you had more brains than that, Isabella."

"You murdered my best friend, I wont let you kill my-" she began.

"You're what? Lover?" Victoria smirked and shook her head. "The Volturi will destroy anyone who stands in there way of getting you," she hissed.

"Then I'll go to them, just don't hurt him please."

"Don't worry, when I'm done with the rest of the clan I'll have him for leftovers." And she threw herself on Bella just as I sprang off the ground and slammed her into the concrete and causing the marble of her skin to crack slightly. It healed within seconds, just as the familiar voices of Jasper, Edward and Alice reached us.

"Alice, get Bella out of here now!" Edward called as I pinned the wrestling Victoria down, her screams echoing across the park. Both Jasper and Edward swooped over the head of the struggling figure and with a sickening crunch ended Victoria's existence there and then.

"Is that the last one them or are there anymore?" I asked getting back up on my feet swiftly.

"They're all finished except for Charlotte, but she seems to be on our side," Edward said as Jasper and Emmett, who had come charging down the lawn, began to prepare Victoria for burning.

"The Volturi, they're coming aren't they?" I asked half glancing around for Bella, who had no doubt been taken back to the car by Alice.

Edward nodded grimly. "They should be here in a few minutes, and I sent Charlotte to keep a look out at the other end of the park. We'll all have to meet them when they arrive."

I nodded absentmindedly. "Do you know how many?"

"Alice isn't sure, but she estimates four, maybe five."

A calling cry in the distance broken my trail of thought suddenly.

"Hey you, bronze haired vampire with the golden eyes, could you come here for a second?" Charlotte sounded shrilly from the clump of thick trees in the distance, a few yards from the warehouse of which was half concealed by smoke.

Edward let out an unexpected sigh and hurried off to meet her, not before casting me an exasperated glance lined with worry. I wasted no time in hurrying down the path and out the front gate, her voice resonated across the empty street and I spotted her leaning against Alice's bright yellow Porsche.

"We haven't got time for this, Bella," Alice muttered grumpily checking her watch.

"I need to do this, Alice," I said carefully.

"If we want to have any chance of getting clear of the Volturi, Bella has to leave now." she said warningly.

I nodded, still staring a Bella who had a resigned expression lining her pale face. "Thank you for everything," she said in a half whisper.

"It should be me thanking you. You saved me," I said pushing a strand of hair away from her cheek.

"If you say so," she said hurriedly. "But listen… when you have a chance I want you to read this, but only after I have gone. Will you do that for me?" she asked as she placed a small white envelope into my hand.

"Bella, you're going to miss your flight," Alice said in an icy tone.

"Flight? Where are you going exactly?" I asked quickly looking from Bella to Alice.

"To a place of safety until this whole thing blows over, don't worry about it, Carlisle, okay?" Alice replied hurriedly avoiding my eyes.

"I'll be fine, look after you. That's the most important thing," Bella said coming face to face with me once more, her eyes shining slightly in the street light.

"You are the most important thing," I said gently.

She looked down at the ground and blinked the tears away from her eyes. "Good bye Carlisle." And then she was gone. I watched her climb into the front seat and bury her face in her hands as Alice accelerated sharply down the road and out of sight. I glanced down at the envelope and frowned to myself; there was something odd about this.

I opened it in a rush and scanned the words written in Bella's familiar frantic scribble.

_Carlisle, _

_I know that if you're reading this, I am gone. It is probably better in any case. I'm leaving Boston; I can't stay here and be with you anymore. This realm that you and your family have drawn me into is too much for me to bear. I should never have formed this relationship with you, and I make you this promise; I won't come back and you will never see me again. I cannot put your coven at risk or jeopardize your relationship with Edward by carrying on like this._

_Please don't try and find me. _

_It was a pleasure and honor knowing you, and I will hold fond memories of our time together. _

_Always, Bella. _

I read and reread the letter three more times for it to finally sink in. She was leaving me? No she couldn't, she… I felt oddly numb as I walked slowly back up to the park gates, unable to conceal the sudden feeling that Bella's goodbye had a more permanent meaning than I had thought before. Isabella Swan was gone and knowing Alice's convictions, I would never see her again. _Bella, you foolish girl. _Was it possible for a dead heart to be broken twice?I quickened my pace in the grass as I recognized the familiar voice of Jane in the distance, closing my eyes and momentarily pausing at the gates felt a hollowness creep over me. Why was I feeling this way? Because I loved Bella and now that she was gone I was broken? No, this wasn't happening. But it was, she was gone and now my coven and my own fate was in the hands of the hooded figures within the distant grounds. The Volturi had arrived.

~ to be continued.

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Thoughts?

Has Bella gone for good?

Will the others survive the meeting with the Volturi?


	14. Chapter 14: The Volturi

**A/N**

**Another update for you all! It isnt as long as the other chapters, but still significant enough that I had to place in the story, some Volturi action coming up. Hope you all enjoy reading!**

**Thank you so very much for all the reviews you have given so far, I dedicate this chapter to you all!**

**And subscribers come and voice your opinions! **

**R&R**

This chapter has been edited and corrected.

**CPOV**

**Chapter 14: The Volturi**

"Nice of you to join us Carlisle." The high pitched voice that could only belong to Jane resonated across the deserted park as I approached. I felt a heavy weight upon my shoulders. They were all congregated around in a closed circle, black cloaks fluttering innocently in the breeze. I sidled through a small gap in between Demetri and Felix; they were holding Jasper and Emmett in a tight grip around their arms. They smirked at me as I entered the center of the circle where Edward stood with Charlotte. Jane was pacing up and down slowly, her face bone white and angelic as ever. Her twin brother, Alec, was in the middle of restraining a struggling Rosalie via her neck. I was relieved to see that Aro, Caius and Marcus, were nowhere to be seen. Now we would at least have a chance to perhaps survive the encounter.

"I am rather surprised to see you all here," I said smoothly without smiling. I stayed close beside Charlotte who looked rather wary.

"Are you really? That is odd. I thought Edward would have told you that we would be dropping in?" Jane replied silkily. She ran a long finger down his arm and Edward flinched slightly. He gave her a look of pure loathing, whatever she was thinking could surely not have matched her countenance.

"He did not mention it," I muttered, averting my gaze to quickly scan how many of them were present. I recognized Chelsea who was hovering close by Alec and looking rather satisfied.

"You didn't tell them why your master let you have leave from our coven for so long, Edward?" Demetri asked suddenly whilst still restraining Jasper.

"Aro is _not _my master," Edward said through gritted teeth glancing at me now, a defiant look in his eyes. "I didn't think it was necessary to tell anyone. I thought I had everything under control."

"Judging by the circumstances, Edward, it is quite clear that you don't. How else can you explain the absence of the human you promised to deliver us?" Jane asked, a small smile curving her full red lips.

Charlotte shot a glance of shock and confusion at Edward. I frowned knowing that there was more to the look than met it eye. It was too easy for Jane to manipulate a fragile situation before her. The many years I had spent with the Volturi had taught me a great deal of the depths she would go to in order to get what she wanted. It was probably one of the reasons why she had remained a firm favorite of Aro's for so long.

"I never promised you anything," Edward said bitterly.

"Do you mean to tell me that you did not agree to a month leave of absence on the grounds that you would retrieve your lost mate? And that you would change her before the end of the first month of the New Year?" Jane asked in a sugar laced tone, the wind setting her neatly swept back hair astray. My eyes were upon Edward's, and my thoughts raging within my mind, a mixture of confusion and fury. He wouldn't do such a thing, and yet judging by the manner in which he had been acting these past few weeks with Bella, I didn't have confidence in his innocence at this point.

"You did what?" Jasper blurted out suddenly, before I could say a word.

"It wasn't like that," Edward said hurriedly, scowling at Jane.

"You dare gamble with her life in such a careless manner," I murmured, amazed.

"Don't you dare lecture me about her life, Carlisle! It was the only way I could buy time to see her again," Edward retorted crossly.

Demetri chuckled slightly and muttered something to Felix who grinned, and stared directly at Charlotte, who narrowed her eyes into a questioning gaze.

"Charlotte was Bella's best friend Felix, you should have known better than to think she would genuinely betray her," Edward said to Felix in evident response to his thoughts.

"We are her makers, Edward," Jane said icily.

"You mean Aro is," he replied with a smirk. "Must have been so very difficult for you to witness that. Did it make you jealous?"

Jane's eyes blazed with fury as she fixed them on Edward, making him arch backwards and cry out in pain as he felt the effects of Jane's torturous gift.

"Do. Not. Cross. Me. Edward," she hissed, emphasizing each and every syllable. Edward screamed again and I stepped forward to intervene. "Jane," I said pleadingly. "Stop it, there is no need."

Jane blinked and the screaming stopped instantly as Edward collapsed onto the ground, wincing in agony.

"Where is she, Edward? You know full well what the consequences of your actions will lead to. If you give her up now, we may spare your life," Jane said calmly, giving every inclination that she was thoroughly enjoying herself.

"I don't know where she is," Edward said truthfully as I held out a hand, helping him to his feet.

Jane's smile widened as her head shook from side to side. "Wrong answer," she chimed before looking directly at Edward, widening her eyes. The next moment he had collapsed to the ground again, every inch of his body violently shaking with pain. His scream of agony echoed and it took a great deal of my strength not to throw myself over Jane and break her focus. Jasper and Emmett were not as resistant, Felix and Demetri were now putting a great deal of effort into holding them.

"Stop it!" Charlotte and Rosalie cried together as Edward twisted about the damp grass. "Stop hurting him, please we'll do anything just stop," Rosalie continued.

Jane broke her gaze and beamed up that the rest of the group deeply satisfied. Edward lay motionless on the ground with his hands over his face. I hurried forward and stooped near him raising him off the ground slightly. Edward took a hold of my arm as he got to his feet again; he paused and sniffed the scent lingering around my shirt.

"Why is Bella's scent is all over you?" Edward whispered in a hollow voice. I frowned at him, maintaining what I hoped was an innocent expression.

"I helped her into Alice's car earlier," I said barely moving my lips.

"Time is running out, Edward," Jane said, eclipsing my whisper with her commanding tone.

"What do you want, Jane? We've already told you that we don't know where Bella is," I said helping Edward to his feet for a second time. Charlotte clasped a hand over his shoulder looking concerned.

"And even if you did know you wouldn't tell us would you, Carlisle?" Alec replied coldly.

"No," Edward and I said in unison.

"And here I thought you had some common sense," Jane said, shaking her head. "Very well, if you won't tell us than there is only one thing to do." She nodded to Alec and Demetri once. The next moment happened so fast that it took a good few minutes to register what had happened. A loud crack from Rosalie's direction was followed by her keeling over in pain and Emmett erupting in fresh attempts to free him self. Alec had managed to twist Rosalie's wrist a full 360 degrees, and it was useless for the moment as she was rendered immobile.

Demetri had thrown Jasper hard against the ground before he pulled his arms behind his back to tie them with thick chains.

Edward threw himself at Alec as Emmett frantically broke free and sprinted towards Rosalie. Alec put his gift to use, causing them to fall blindly to the ground, all senses numbed. Jasper snarled and pulled forcefully at his bindings in an effort to break free.

"It really doesn't have to be this way." Jane said conversationally as I advanced towards her, keeping Charlotte close by my side.

"As if you would have it any other way," I said furiously.

"What have you done to them?" Charlotte said looking down at the disoriented figures of Edward and Emmett.

"Just rid them of all sense of anything, sight, sound, taste, touch… " Alec trailed off, rolling his eyes and looking smugly at Felix.

"You can do that?" Charlotte continued, her expression amazed.

"Oh we can do many things," Felix said threateningly, fixing his eyes upon her intently.

Jane rolled her eyes and turned to her brother again, before briefly starring down at the pair lying on the ground. "That should be enough for now, Alec," she said thoughtfully with an unnerving calmness that was almost sickening. Within seconds Emmett was on his feet and crouched by his wife's side, wrapping his arms firmly around her and throwing furious glares at Alec.

"Carlisle, could you come and check her over," Emmett asked weakly. I made to join them but Alec placed a firm hand on my chest and shook his head.

"You will stay where you are, if you value the use of your hands, doctor," he said mockingly.

"Aro never did deflate your head, did he? I have to admit I am rather surprised by his foolishness," I muttered narrowing my eyes and remaining rooted to the spot.

Jane made a small coughing noise and resumed her pacing, a contemplative expression lining her flawless face.

"Aro will want a full explanation," she said finally. "We cannot let this rest until we have gained the Swan girl, and seeing as you -" Her eyes fixed upon Edward again and he flinched slightly, though nothing happened. " Have failed to retrieve her for us, and nobody here is disclosing her whereabouts..." she drifted off, in her creepy, detached way.

Charlotte threw her a look of pure loathing as she spoke, and I couldn't help but feel gratitude towards her. Despite her newborn qualities, Charlotte had not fallen for the Volturi as many others would have done.

"I need more time," Edward said through gritted teeth.

"Our master has already given you plenty of time to retrieve your bride, yet you have failed," Alec said smoothly.

"I cannot condemn her against her own will. You must understand that it has to be her choice. Bella needs time to regain trust and accept me again," Edward replied almost desperately.

"For once, Edward, time is not on our side as you know full well of Emil and his coven's plans," Jane said sternly. "This conversation is over. Demetri, Felix arrest them" she finished with a manic gleam in her crimson eyes. Demetri advanced for Edward who tried, and failed, to resist as Alec paralyzed his senses again, long enough for Demetri to bind his arms in heavy chains.

"There is no need to tie me up, Felix. I am quite willing to come quietly," I said through gritted teeth.

_Where the hell was Alice?_

"Better safe than sorry," he hissed before advancing on Charlotte, who was backing away slowly with her hands up in a defensive position.

Jane swiftly moved behind her stopping her progress and looking her up and down while frowning slightly. "She has failed in her task. And the Volturi do not accept failure under any circumstances. Kill her Felix," she said, strolling away and Charlotte looked from her to Felix, her crimson eyes wide in fear.

"You want me to kill her?" Felix asked, hesitating slightly as the screech of a familiar car in the distance caught my attention. Alice had returned, just in time it seemed.

"Do you need a hearing aid, Felix?" Jane said to the raven haired vampire whose eyes were still upon Charlotte. "Aro won't be needing her any more."

"He is her creator, Jane, I think it is only fair if we-"

"Kill her now, or else I will do it myself," Jane snapped.

"No," Felix said looking at Charlotte closely. "And I won't let you kill her either; it would be a waste to destroy something so precious." He ran his finger along her cheek, and then her jaw line and down her neck. Charlotte pushed his hand away, glaring at him furiously.

"I would rather die thanks," she said taking another step back.

"Now now, what is this talk about dying?" Alice's voice called loudly as she skipped lightly into the group. Jasper looked up at her firmly, yet said nothing.

"Alice Cullen. Always showing up at the right moment, too bad I'm afraid the party is quite over," Jane said with a smirk. "Arrest her too; no doubt she knows a thing or two about Bella."

"Actually I do," Alice said calmly and moving slowly towards me. "I know for a fact that she was with Edward this afternoon."

Edward looked up at her sharply in horrified disbelief. Alice nodded glancing at him with warning lining her eyes. "He offered her eternal life, but unfortunately their relationship is in a difficult place and she refused his offer."

Jane looked from Alice to Edward and folded her arms quizzically.

"Overcome by what I can only imagine as desolation, Bella ran away and we have been trying to find her ever since," Alice said breezily and then she looked at me. "Why don't you show Jane the note Bella left you."

I stared at her with wide eyes, but the expression she gave me managed to cast aside all traces of doubt from my mind. I withdrew the note from my pocket and handed it to Jane.

She scanned over it twice and then scrunched it up into a ball, throwing it back to me. "Very well," Jane muttered angrily, apparently it was evidence enough to back up what Alice was saying.

I watched Alice walk casually over and pick up the note, she walked back to me and I felt Alice's cold hand meet my fingers and the weight of a heavy object fell into my hand, an object that felt very much like a key. A car key.

"So you truly have no idea where she is then," Jane asked unconvinced.

"Not yet, but with a little time we can track her down. In fact I am more than willing to come and explain the whole thing to Aro in person. If you would let me," Alice said moving away from me and beaming at the Volturi members.

Jane glanced at her twin brother and then at Edward who looked stricken.

"Let us consider this," Demetri said suddenly and beckoned the other members forward in a small huddle. Felix moved away, almost regretfully, from Charlotte who was still glaring at him with clenched fists.

In a flash Alice zoomed to my side once more and whispered frantically whilst barely moving her lips. I felt the binds on my wrists snap as she clenched her fists around them.

"You'll have less than a minute, when the opportunity comes I want you to slip out as fast as you can. Do not look back."

"What are you doing?" I muttered in a low voice watching the others making sure none where aware of what was going on.

"Helping you escape," she whispered hurriedly. It took a great deal of effort to keep my face placid and avoid arising suspicious from Edward who was still watching us closely. "We can't all be held captive by the Volturi and you're the best person to escape."

"Tell me where she is, Alice, otherwise there is no point in this at all."

"No. I promised her I wouldn't, and besides, I am not going to let you continue this relationship r with her," Alice hissed as Jane cast a glance in our direction.

"I need to find her, Alice," I said in a stern voice.

Alice shook her head firmly and shot a glance at Edward who was watching us curiously. She began to make her way back to Jasper but I caught her arm and pulled her back forcefully, half marveling that the Volturi members had failed to notice.

"Tell me," I whispered again.

Alice gave a frustrated gasp and tried to free herself. "No, you read the note Carlisle; she wants nothing more to-"

I cut her off. "If Emil or the Valhallas track her down we'll be in an even worse state than we are now," I said hurriedly looking at the Volturi members who were still talking among themselves. "Please tell me where she is."

Alice looked quickly around and then whispered, "Romeo's nemesis." And then she hurriedly broke free and scuttled back to Jasper. I remained silent, frowning in puzzlement as the others broke apart from their huddle and approached us once more. Alice hastily moved closer to Jasper who was looking rather bored now.

"We have reached a decision," Jane said coolly.

"You will all," she began to point to each of us except Charlotte who had been rejoined by Felix; they were actually engrossed in whispered conversation.. "Be placed under arrest and accompany us back to Volterra. Ms. Hyde can decide on dying or joining us as Felix's companion," she finished smoothly.

Charlotte looked stricken and starred into the crimson eyes of Felix who smiled slyly. She ran a hand through her hair looking worriedly.

""Fine, if it means keeping Bella safe," she said finally. Felix pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it gently.

"Wise decision," he said smirking.

The others began to move, taking hold of the remaining members. Rosalie got to her feet in Emmett's arms her wrists, though back in their usual position still looked oddly disfigured. Despite the damage her expression was resigned and firm.

Alice stood resolutely beside Jasper and shot me a glance, nodding sultrily as she pulled out a small device and depressed a button on the bottom. At once a shrill, high pitched whistle erupted around the scene causing almost half of the group to double over on their knees with their hands over their ears.

"Get them out of here NOW!" Demetri roared grabbing Alice and Jasper roughly. My chance had come; either make a run for it now or else join them in Volterra. I took a firm step backwards and turning sharply, I sprinted at what felt like rocket speed through the gates, slamming them shut behind me. I could hear Felix gaining on me as I caught sight of the Porsche standing in between two neatly parked cars. I reached for the key just as Felix threw himself over me and knocking us hard onto the concrete.

"Going somewhere, Doctor Cullen?" he asked pinning my arms down. I lodged a swift kick at his chest and set him flying on to the windshield of a parked car, the glass shattered, triggering the car alarm.

I didn't wait to see what happened next; I opened the door of the Porsche and threw myself inside just as Felix lunged for me. The engine roared into life and I hurriedly accelerated out of the space, managing to avoid damaging either of the cars, and hurriedly drove down the street towards the main road. I didn't even look back to see the fate of the other Volturi members who had emerged.

I drove well beyond the speed limit, a thousand thoughts engulfing my mind. What on earth had caused Alice to take such a risk? Would I be able to find Bella in time, before Aro uncovered her whereabouts? I pondered over Alice's final words to me, whilst hoping against hope that the others would reach Volterra in one piece.

**_Romeo's nemesis_**

Romeo's nemesis? The only Romeo I could think of was that of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. But who was the nemesis? I pondered of this for a few minutes. The lights changed bright green and the answer flooded into my mind.

_Paris_. Alice had sent her to Paris. The tires screeched loudly upon the road as I moved round a corner. Logan airport would be the obvious choice of destination now, but what if Felix or another one of the Volturi had been sent to tail me?

I couldn't take the risk, despite my frustration in the forced separation from Bella. I missed her already, just the thought of her alone decreasing my focus.

I would wait, tomorrow was another day, and it would probably be safer if I left then. I drove further and further away from the city, from my coven feeling a hollow misery of guilt and regret come over me. I had abandoned them, yet this had been Alice's plan and I had enough faith in her to trust her decisions. The red lights approached in the distance and I made to reduce my speed. I realized that something was wrong; try as I might to slow down, the brakes wouldn't function. It was then that I had realized what was about to happen. I would crash and cause the car to explode which would lead to fire; the most deadly thing to a vampire was fire. I was lost. There had been another meaning to Alice's words; Romeo's nemesis had never made it to Juliet, but Alice would never do this unless...

I turned sharply and made my way down a long stretch of side road. My eyes looking hurriedly around for something, anything that would make sense of this.

A note lay upon the passenger seat folded neatly with my initials scribbled in Alice's minute, yet excessively neat, handwriting. I snatched it up, still managing to keep a firm path along the road.

**_Jump out near the bridge; they'll never know you survived._**

I read the sentence over and over again willing it to make sense. Yet it made none. What bridge? There was no bridge. I threw the note aside and drove on at the same speed, trying to maintain caution as I guided the Porsche along any side road or street I could reach. So long as they did not require the use of the Porsche's brakes, I was safe.

Some ten minutes later I saw it, the black iron bridge that crossed over a wide stretch of river diving two sections of the city. I knew what I had to do and accelerated, heading straight towards the edge. It was a crime in itself to destroy a car such as this one, but considering the circumstances it was a small price to pay. I turned sharply and the car aimed headlong to the edge of a dilapidated fence that lined the bridge. I threw the car door open and hurtled myself out across the concrete sidewalk as the car collided with the outer side of the bridge. The gas tank exploded and flames emerged from the car as it fell into the watery depths. Within seconds there was another loud explosion and more fire emitted from the oil tanker. It took mere seconds before it impacted with the water, setting the black surface in a blaze.

I lay hidden in the shadows and noticed that the car that had been trailing me only moments before, stop. The door opened and I recognized Felix's figure as he stared down at the ruined remains of the car. He chuckled to himself before he got back into the car and swerved loudly, making a quick U turn before driving away into the distance.

I remained concealed for a good few minutes until I was confident that the coast was clear. The place had been so deserted that I doubt anyone would realize until morning what had happened, but the Volturi would have an idea. They would think me dead and this left me enough time to find Bella. I started off at a run, back to the house for it was the only logical place to go now. I would pack up and leave, making any excuses I could think of to the university and the hospital. I needed to contact J. Jenks, my coven's attorney, and alert him of the situation. He would be able to set me up with new documents within twenty-four hours. He would take care of putting the house in Boston on the market and deal with the necessary paperwork on our behalf. This wasn't the first time he had dealt with such arrangements for our coven.

Once that had all been taken care of I would be on my way to Paris. I knew Bella would be at the apartment Alice kept there. I just hoped that Emil wouldn't find out about our demise, because I couldn't risk him finding Bella and claiming her for himself.

It didn't matter whether Bella possessed feelings for me or not, she needed protection and I would gladly risk my life in keeping her safe. It was the least I could do for the mess that was mostly my fault.

I broke into a sprint, catching sight of my house in the distance. There was much to be done before I could depart from this place and find Bella again.

~To be Continued…

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Thoughts?

Reviews are most welcome.


	15. Chapter 15: From Paris with Love

**EDITED: 07/16/2010. Major changes are in this chapter, mainly at the middle/end of the chapter.**

** Dedicated to Jules from MyVampFiction.**

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**CHAPTER 15**

**BPOV**

**_From Paris with Love_**

**CH****APTER 15**

**BPOV**

**_From Paris with Love_**

The rain was falling heavily upon the blackened road as Alice accelerated down the busy city street towards Logan International Airport. We had remained silent throughout the journey. I couldn't have spoken even if I had wanted to. My head was preoccupied with worry and frustration, and not just for the fact that, at this very moment, the Volturi could be slaughtering the rest of the Cullens, not to mention my best friend. Charlotte had newly joined the vampire realm, and there was the matter of Alice taking me to board a flight to goodness knows where. I had asked her where we were headed several times during the course of our journey.

"I'll tell you when we get there; be patient, Bella."

"Why can't you just tell me now?" I demanded crossly, glaring out of the rain soaked window.

Alice let out a heavy sigh and sped up so much that the scene through the window was nothing but blurred flashes of lights. I didn't have to wait long until the sight of the graying airport building came into view and the Porsche was zooming in to the main parking lot. I had buried my face in my excessively cold hands trying to gather my thoughts; so much had happened today it seemed surreal. I had finished university, received a marriage proposal, been kidnapped then rescued, and now was on my way out of the country.

Alice killed the engine and leaned back in her seat closing her eyes. I knew without asking that she was checking up on the others she had left back in the park. I felt my nervousness grow slightly as I watched her countenance. She seemed completely absent from her surroundings for several minutes until finally she opened her eyes and gave me a small smile.

"They're okay, just talking at present. Jane isn't too pleased with Edward it seems."

"What's going to happen to him?" I asked carefully.

"He will probably have to go back with them and explain his long absence to Aro. Not to mention the reason why _you're_ not there, although Carlisle will no doubt smooth that over," Alice said watching for my reaction.

My mind was racing at this point, yet I aimed to keep my face expressionless.

"Are you going to tell me where you're taking me?" I asked finally.

Alice rolled her eyes and adjusted herself in her seat before reaching over to the back seat and retrieving her bag. Hurriedly, she opened it and rummaged around for a good few minutes before taking out an envelope and handing it to me. I opened it and scanned across the destination written on the airline ticket.

"Paris? We're going to France?" I exclaimed in mild surprise and suspicion.

"Not _we,_ Bella, just you," Alice said smoothly, casting a quick glance at her watch.

"Why? Are you hoping that I'll meet up with Edward after he's done with the Volturi and elope with him or something?"

"Don't make jokes, Bella. Paris is the safest place for you at present; nobody will ever suspect you would have gone there. Besides it's about time someone spent sometime in that apartment there," she said shifting in her seat slightly.

Arguing was my main priority at this point, but between the current situation we were in and the look on Alice's face; I decided to resign to my fate grudgingly.

"If I leave then I'm not coming back here," I stated noticing that the ticket was one way, no return.

Alice paused for a moment and looked down at her shoes. "Carlisle won't be here by the time you come back, but I'm not going to stop you from staying in France if you like it there."

I knew the answer was going to be something like that; an almost sixth sense had developed between myself and the Cullens. I could always guess what the next surprise would be. My mind drifted over the thought of Carlisle, and then over Edward, what a mess this whole situation was, how on earth did we get here? Separation seemed to be the only answer, but this time it would be _my_ choice.

"You expect me to stay in Paris indefinitely?" I asked, frowning at her cautious expression. "Because I won't. I might stay for a week or two at the most, after that I'll be gone.

She raised her eyes brows quizzically at me. "Running away doesn't solve anything, Bella."

"I'm not running away, Alice, I'm getting on with my life. The vampire threat is over as far as I am concerned and there is no need for us to be with each other anymore. I don't belong in your world as I am, and I'm not going to remain it in any longer." I exhaled, realizing the meaning of my words; it would be one of the hardest things I had to do, cast myself away from the Cullens again. They had become like a second family to me, even after the long absence. The hole in my chest felt more prominent as I thought of a life forever separated from them, from Carlisle.

"You're not getting rid of us that easy, Bella," Alice said rolling her eyes. "I'm not about to just let you go and forget about you like the last time."

"Why? So you can continue trying to set me up with Edward?" I said, opening the car door and slamming it shut. It was then that I realized that I was supposed to be going away and I had nothing to take with me, not even a passport.

"Bella," Alice began after hurriedly following me out and started rummaging around in the trunk. She pulled out a heavy suitcase and what looked like my shoulder bag. Slamming the trunk door, she wheeled the case beside my feet and handed me the bag.

"I'm not trying to set you up. I'm trying to stop you from making a hideous mistake."

I searched around my bag and retrieved a spare bottle of Diet Coke and my passport. The sooner I was gone from here the better it would be. If any sense of normality was to return to my life again, I had to break away.

"Carlisle _was never_ a mistake."

"You were only using him to get back at Edward," she said before she could stop herself.

That was that last straw. I wrenched one of the bags over my shoulder and began walking away dragging the suitcase behind me. I wanted to scream or perhaps even slap Alice for thinking such a thing. I never asked for this, to possess feelings for someone was so wrong_ yet _so right at the same time.

Alice zoomed in front of me and stopped me in my tracks. "I didn't mean it that way, Bella, I- meant unintentionally."

I slid past her and kept moving. "If I was ever doing such a thing as low and pathetic as that, I wouldn't have spent so long keeping it from Edward. I could easily have told him _after_ he had proposed to me," I said looking at the apparent shock on Alice's face. I had to admit I felt surprised myself; I had thought the whole thing had been her idea.

"But I didn't. I'm leaving now for goodness knows how long, and I'm separating my life from yours, yet again." I shook my head and blinked the tears out of my eyes. "Believe me I never wanted this, Alice. But as the saying goes you can't help who you fall in -" I broke off shaking my head and turning away from Alice, walking towards the growing queue in front of the check in desk.

I could no longer look at her anymore. I couldn't close my eyes in fear of seeing his face etched in my mind; I only stared at the floor, seeing nothing.

"I wish I could explain the truth to you." Alice sighed heavily as she walked over and stood right beside me and placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Listen, I have to get going. Please stay in Paris, Bella, the key to my apartment is in your purse. I'll try and call you later if I can."

"Don't – don't tell Carlisle where I've gone," I said still not looking at her, feeling the anger boil up within my blood.

"You know I won't, Bella," she replied unconvincingly, before turning and walking away.

"Alice," I called back. "Promise me you won't tell, either of them where I will be."

"I promise," she said looking back at me with a slightly melancholy expression lining her face. Moments later she was gone, out of sight and I knew I would never see her again, or at least not in person in any case.

My thoughts were cascading around me as I boarded the flight some fifteen minutes later.

I'd stay a week or two in Paris and then head to Australia as I had originally planned before the Cullens had come to MIT. I would hang out with my father and then organize myself into an apartment in Sydney and maybe attend graduate school there. I knew Alice wouldn't break her promise and that I would never see Carlisle again. It was for the best.

I slept most of the way to France, having been exhausted by the hectic events of the day. But even my subconscious couldn't ease my mind; Carlisle had begun haunting my dreams like some kind of ghost. His voice played back in my mind over and over again. This had never happened before, not even with Edward. I kept bolting up right in my seat on the plane and looking wildly around, expecting to see him there, watching me. The third time this had happened and the flight attendant asked if I needed some medication. I hurriedly set my iPod on shuffle and once again it had become my only escape. I buried my thoughts in the music of various rock bands and classical composers that came up, but even music couldn't distract me entirely. I had to skip over _Bon Jovi_, because all that did was remind me of the time we had gone to one of his sold out concerts in Boston.

There were many things I would have to remove from my life if I was to truly forget about him completely.

"Would you like me to carry your bags inside for you madam?" The taxi driver asked me in French. He opened the car door for me outside a tall building with Terracotta bricked walls and ivory stone panels, gray granite steps leading up to a Tudor style arch with an ebony front door. I starred up at it in the bright light of the street lamps in amazement. Despite it being almost dawn and having only a few hours of sleep I felt wide awake enough to appreciate the beauty. Paris always looked so elegant, even its apartment blocks. I had exercised my memory of high school and early college French since exiting the airplane, and so far had successfully communicated my way through. After tipping the taxi driver with the euros Alice had left for me in my purse, I dragged my case up the steps into the entrance hall. Its walls were a dark green color lined with gold giving it an expensively majestic look. After a quick ride in the elevator up to the third floor, and a brief wander around the many black and gold numbered doors, I eventually came to the door of my temporary home.

The interior of the apartment was decorated in the usual light and airy colors associated with the Cullens. I found myself in the wide living room dominated by two large windows and furnished with a vast ivory couch, an antique armchair and Persian silk carpet, and a white-washed sideboard matching the round dining table with its Viennese straw chairs. I had a funny suspicious that Alice had made provisions before hand, having figured I would be using this place sooner rather than later. The kitchen was, to my surprise, fully equipped with all necessities, even the fridge was fully stocked with fresh ingredients and all the regular dining equipment was present in the oak paneled cupboards. I paced down the white washed hallway leading into the largest bedroom on the far side of the hall. A large, queen-size four poster bed stood in center. On the far side of the room was built-in closets and an empire chair with a silk seat, a white washed trunk and an elegant 19th century writing desk. I glanced over the small collection of books; _the Iliad_ by Homer, the complete works of Shakespeare and an old medical journal. I sighed heavily and turned away, walking to my suitcases to start unpacking.

It took me longer than I had expected and as soon as I was done the jet lag began to creep in. Instead of going to sleep I decided to take a long shower and refuel with some lunch, since it was way too late in the day to call the meal breakfast.

I mused over the many television channels whilst pouring over a bowl of pasta, and finally, out of curiosity, stopped at a news report on CNN. The journalist was talking excitedly about a tragic accident that had occurred in Boston late last night.

"The staff and students of Massachusetts Institute of Technology are in a state of mourning today after the unexpected death of one of their youngest and most gifted Professors; Dr. Carlisle Cullen."

I dropped my fork into my half empty bowl and scrambled around for the remote to turn up the volume. What the hell was going on? Had Alice done something?

"Dr. Cullen, thirty-one who was from the Boston area tragically lost his life in a car accident late last night when his Porsche..." My eyes widened as an image of the familiar yellow Porsche that came up on screen. The reporter continued on with her story in a horribly excited manner, "collided with the side of the bridge and exploded before plummeting down several feet into the water below. Eye witness accounts spotted Dr. Cullen speeding down the road towards the bridge at around 11:21 last night."

_Exploded?_ That means that fire and I was keenly aware that was the only thing that could annihilate a vampire. But Carlisle wouldn't, he couldn't have… And then a thought crossed my mind. _The Volturi, _they must have killed him and then made it up to look like a car crash.

Carlisle was…dead. I placed my bowl on the coffee table beside the couch and then lowered the volume of the television who was interviewing some attorney called .

My entire body felt numb, perhaps because I was in shock or moreover, because the man I had been falling in love with was dead. I collapsed onto the couch cushions and allowed the tears to cascade down my face.

_Two days later_

I made my way out of the apartment and down into the street, allowing the mid-morning sunshine to wash warmth over me. I had to keep myself preoccupied, even if it meant spending most of my time outside. I had spent the good part of two days cooped up inside the apartment, depression lingering over me like a gigantic black cloud. I couldn't carry on like this; Carlisle hadn't sacrificed himself for my freedom just to have been fall into a state of misery. It would be an insult to his memory, and I cared for him too much to let myself go to siege.

And it was my first time in Paris, a city in Europe I had always wanted to visit, although the circumstance in which I was here could have been better.

I journeyed first into Notre Dame Cathedral and marveled over its intricate Gothic-style design, aesthetic grandeur and harmony. It did not provide a useful distraction, as I walked around the vast building, as I still found myself reminded of Carlisle. I remembered the religious beliefs he possessed and how, over the centuries he had existed, he had adapted to more modern aspects of it. Some time in the afternoon I ventured on the Metro and headed for the _Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre. _As far as museums went, the Louvre was probably one of my favorites; I spent a good two hours wandering through the vast _collections_ of distinct artistic and cultural worlds. The pieces by Da Vinci, Delacroix, Vermeer, and Rubens took my breath away. I pondered over what Carlisle would have said about such works of art if he was here. One of the many things I admired about him was his vast appreciation and well rounded knowledge of both science and the arts. He had indulged me in conversations about the different time periods he had lived through, the differences in society and in humanity as a whole. His repertoire of expertise spanned art, history, politics, medicine and psychology, just to name only a few. I had asked him, on frequent occasions, how he had managed to keep so much knowledge throughout the centuries, I thought even for vampire standards it was impossible.

I remembered our conversation.

_"I kept diaries, making a note of the various experiences in life during the ages. My time in Austria, where I had dined with Mozart himself, or when I witnessed the merging of Britain and Ireland as the United Kingdom and the end of the French revolution," he had said in response. "I was even classmates with Einstein at Zurich Polytechnique back when I was in Switzerland," he added, watching my amazed reaction turn into one of astonishment._

_"You have been through so much though. I'm surprised you have managed to keep up with the changing world for this long," I said as I gazed at his flawless pale face._

_"All creatures on this Earth are built for adaptation, it comes naturally even for us. From experiencing two world wars to witnessing a man land upon the moon, and then ending up in the twenty-first century, I have seen it evolution firsthand." He shrugged as though these were trivial things. "I count myself among the lucky to have seen so much so far and hope to continue on being apart of many more events that arise."_

It seemed impossible to find any suitable means of diverting him from my thoughts. Anything of wonder or interest I saw sparked a question in my mind that I wanted to ask him or at least his opinion.. By the time I had returned to the apartment, I felt exhausted and even more depressed than I had been upon first arriving here.

I couldn't keep trying to forget about him anymore, because it just wasn't working and I was putting myself in an even worse mental state. I had to move forward, and get out of this misery.

During dinner I rang my father letting him know where I was and discussed my plans of coming for a visit.

"You sure you want to give up MIT and come to Australia, Bells?" Charlie asked, sounding suspicious.

"MIT is okay but I need a change of scene," I muttered whilst playing with my baked potato.

"I heard about Carlisle's accident, I hope the others aren't bothering you about it," he inquired. When Carlisle and the others arrived on campus, I had made the mistake of telling my father about them. It had led to me spending many phone conversations reassuring him that everything was fine and that I wasn't going back down that same path again.

The nights spent in the apartment alone was more difficult than I could have imagined, being alone in a new place was one thing, but being constantly reminded of the person you had come here to escape from, was a nightmare in itself.

In the mornings I would bolt upright attempting to get my breathing rate back to normality after having yet another dream. I need a distraction that _he_ could not be associated with, and after browsing through a large map of Paris, I took a taxi to a Hair salon on rue des Prouvaires. Changing one's hair style was always a good diversion. I randomly chose to have it dyed black, cut and layered keeping the length just past my shoulders to take the weight off. I felt much better when I emerged some three hours later with a paler, even younger looking appearance, though it wasn't a very convincing disguise. If only I could have changed the scent of my blood.

At lunchtime I resided in a coffee shop beside the River Siene, the sky overcast for the first time since I had been here. I sipped on my diet soda thoughtfully, staring at the note that had been left on my bed many weeks ago. My eyes fixed upon the words:

**_Water riser play our vary lot._**

I had toyed with this anagram for what felt like an age, there was no solving it whatsoever, anything I had attempted made no sense. Not even Jasper, who was quite logical, could come up with a suitable answer. How long had it been since I had left them to face the Volturi? Had they been destroyed or taken captive by Aro until my whereabouts had been established? The thought of Carlisle being dissolved into ash caused a shudder to ripple down my spine. Perhaps they were in Volterra, undergoing a trial or... I stopped and looked down at the note again and hurriedly rearranged the letters:

_W-ter Ris- Play Our -ay -._

_Volterra _

I frowned, this had to be part of it, and given the current circumstances it made perfect sense. I rearranged the remaining letters further for over half an hour until, finally I felt sure the message had been solved.

_Volterra Awaits Your Reply_

This was it, but what connection did it have to the talisman that was still hanging from my neck.

"_This is known as a power triangle, ironically enough. It symbolizes the radiating energy from within you."_

I glanced out of the window recalling Carlisle's words on the night he had examined it. It was clear the Volturi wanted me and for the reason being that I possessed a hidden strength or power, but how would they know that? And if was it even true? The Volturi wanted me, and had no doubt dealt with the Cullens in an effort to get me. But what if I made it easier for them, and the Cullens? I could go to Volterra. If it was my powers they wanted then perhaps killing me wasn't their intention, perhaps they wanted to change me. The thought sent a chill down my spine. If I went to Volterra I could release the remaining Cullens out of the trouble they were in; it was a fair sacrifice in exchange for what Carlisle had done.

The question raced through my mind for almost all of the afternoon, the only positive thing was that it provided a much welcomed distraction from everything else that had been going on. I managed to venture up to the high point of the Eiffel tower sometime later. The sky was darkening ever so slowly and I could just see the faint orange glow of the sun at the far end of the city, disappearing behind the rooftops. I could certainly see why they called it the most romantic city in the world; the whole place had an oddly seductive and mystical aura to it. After taking over a dozen pictures on my digital camera I descended down the steps and to the elevator that caused a claustrophobic feeling to come over me. I was half relieved to reach ground level again.

My eyes fell upon the Lena Bridge contemplating whether or not to go back to the apartment. I could plan my way to Volterra from there, make up some excuse to my parents about why I would be away for a while and then go to Italy. What more did I have to lose?

I strolled along the bridge and gazed down into its watery depths as the gentle breeze rippled across its navy blue surface. The wind whipped across my face, carrying with it an oddly familiar scent of cinnamon and apple. I frowned slightly as the taste of it as it caught on the tip of my tongue. I swallowed and felt my mouth go dry.

I turned and gazed up the bridge for a long moment, searching for something impossible. Something wonderfully foolish. The scent was growing stronger and my heart began to thunder uncontrollably in my chest. I remained rooted to the spot, feeling the air thicken around me.

"Isabella," a familiar voice called to me from a distance; this had to be a hallucination. I turned widely around and looked over every corner of the bridge. A rumble of thunder emitted from the sky above and I knew a storm was coming. I had to get out of here, I thought as I ran across to the curb beside the road as an empty taxi halted in the small queue of traffic that had built up on the bridge. I hurriedly climbed in and away from the downpour that had begun to grow heavier as each minute passed.

The scent was still there; even whilst I was in the taxi I could still taste it on my tongue.

The vehicle gained speed as the traffic cleared and soon we were off the bridge heading towards the main road. I glanced briefly out of the window at the bridge and noticed what appeared to be a hooded figure, neatly concealed from the rain and watching the taxi's progress down the street. I squinted and caught sight of a familiar figure of Emil Valhalla standing on the bridge.

"Could you go a little faster please?" I asked the taxi driver. He nodded and accelerated through the traffic.

I emerged out of the taxi fifteen minutes later and hurried up to the apartment, desperate to get a change of clothes. I sprinted up the stairs to the third floor and towards my door. I stopped in front of it and took a deep breath, feeling my heart accelerate wildly again. The scent was even stronger now. I turned the key in the lock and opened the door, closing it hurriedly behind me as I walked in.

Someone had been in here; I thought looking around as I placed my keys in my bag and set it down on the floor.

"Bella?"

I turned widely around and fixed my eyes on the unmistakable features that resembled that of some sort of Mystical Greek being. His blonde hair swept back in a casual fashion, a fitted black shirt and charcoal pants. I felt his eyes on me, and it took me a few seconds to register the fact that he was actually here, standing mere yards away from me. _Alive_. How was that possible? And how had known where to find me? Alice surely would not have told him where I was. I didn't care at the moment, all I wanted was him, to touch and feel him, make sure he was genuinely here. I sprinted across the room to him and threw my arms around him, burying my face in his chest. "You're alive."

He held me steady and tightly wrapped his arms around my waist. "Of course I am, Bella, what did you-"

I didn't give him a chance to finish his sentence for at that moment I had brought my face up to his and stood on tip toes before to assault his lips with my mouth. He hesitated for a split second and then, realizing what I was doing, immediately met my mouth with his own, taking charge over the kiss. His cool tongue danced around my mouth and I let out an agonized whimper, tightening my hold around him. But too soon the reality of the situation came over me and I pulled away, breathing deeply.

"How did you find me?" I asked keeping my voice even.

Carlisle gazed at me with a perplexed expression. "I had a little help from Alice and from Shakespeare," he said silkily.

I swallowed the taste of him still lingered in my mouth.

"Are you planning on running away again, Bella?" His finger touched my cheek lightly turning my face to towards him again.

"Why does everyone have this impression that I'm running away from something?"

"What would you call fleeing to the other side of the world?" he asked quizzically.

"Moving on with my life," I muttered taking a step back from him. I needed to get out of here before all my self control left me completely. I was on the brink of letting out all the emotions I had kept at bay over the past three days.

"Do you know why I am here?" he asked, fixing a piercing gaze upon me; I felt almost hypnotized and tried shaking it off in order to maintain a clear head.

"To see if I am still alive?" I muttered, looking down at the ground for a moment. I knew that he would never feel the same way for me as I did for him. It was my protection that meant more to him than anything else. Alice had probably seen my decision to go to the Volturi and had sent him along, blowing his cover of being dead in the process. "Well I am, so you can go and look after your coven," I said turning away, but he seized my hand and pulled me roughly to his chest.

"I'm not letting you go, Bella, I can't. Not after what you have done to me."

I raised my eyebrows in puzzled surprise. "I'm not giving you an option, Carlisle," I said feeling a stab of pain through my chest. I hated myself for this, for lying to him, but what other way was there? The truth of the matter was that we belong to different worlds, disengaging from the vampire realm was the only way to overcome this, even if it meant abandoning a person critical to my happiness in life.

"Look at me, Bella." He placed his hands upon my arms and drew me closer.

"Let me go, for your own sake, let this finish," I said in half a whisper, trying and failing to avoid looking at his determined expression. There was something there in his eyes that triggered a rush of adrenaline within my veins.

"I wish I could," he said firmly, tightening his grip around me.

"They'll kill you," I said slowly. "If not the Volturi then certainly Edward."

He chuckled and placed his hand around mine bringing it up to his lips. "I would die a thousand deaths for you."[Jules 1]

"You're a fool," I said trying and failing to free myself. The sky had grown completely black and a half moon had emerged from behind the clouds amidst the cluster of diamond-like stars.

"Yes I probably am, but I can't help myself," he said. "I'm in love with you, Bella."

I stared at him for a long moment, utterly speechless and then before I could say anything his mouth was on mine. I couldn't fight him off even if I wanted to. I fisted my hands in his hair and pressed myself up to him.

I felt my feet leave my ground as he lifted me up into his arms and carried me to the couch, laying me down without breaking the kiss. All of a sudden Carlisle's hands were everywhere at once, a concept I had believed only existed in Harlequin novels. He switched from simply touching and holding to slipping beneath the damp fabric of my shirt. I was more than ready to arch into them. Truthfully, I was ready for more. I wanted more.

"Carlisle," I moaned as he moved away from my lips and continued to kiss every inch of my skin, slipping below my jaw line and to my neck. He pushed his hips further into mine, and I felt the tips of his fangs graze the delicate skin of my neck. And then without warning he pulled away and gazed up at me with smoldering black eyes. "I'm sorry," he said removing him from me entirely and sitting in the far corner of the couch, breathing deeply. "I shouldn't have-" he broke off and looked away, placing a fist in front of his mouth.

I sat up and moved closer to him, so that was kneeling directly in front of him. "It's fine, I wasn't exactly controlling myself either," I said with a small smile. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the note the Volturi had left me with the now solved anagram. "What do you think of this?" I asked in an effort to ease the growing tension between us.

~To Be Continued...

* * *


	16. Chapter 17: A Requiem For Desire

**Hello! **

**Thank you so very much for your comments and reviews, I am still amazed that this story is getting so many. A question or two that were asked will be answered in this chapter and in the ones to follow.**

**DISCLAIMER: I am not S. Meyer, since she would never allow her characters to behave in such a manner. **

**EDITED: 07/20/2010**

**Reconciled Desire**

**Chapter 16**

"Volterra awaits your reply?" Carlisle mused as he read over the note with the solved anagram.

I walked across the sitting room, dropped the towel covering my rain drenched hair and swept the black strands out of my face. Through the window I could see flashes of blue light lining the sky shortly followed by the growl of thunder in the distance. I shuddered slightly before resting myself on the couch watching Carlisle's thoughtful expression, his eyes fixed on the note.

"It makes things so much clearer now. The Volturi obviously want me for some reason other than just killing me," I said carefully.

Carlisle looked up at me and frowned. "What other reason?"

I reached around the back of my neck and untied the talisman, handing the chain to him.

"They evidently think I have some sort of inner strength or ability, something that no doubt Aro wouldn't mind having in his clan," I said watching for his reaction. Carlisle would know better than anyone the ways of the Volturi, for he had spent many decades with them in the past.

"Aro is obsessed with power that is true, but he is also very cunning when it comes to manipulation. For all we could know, this -" he held up the talisman as it glinted in the dim light of the room, "could all be a ploy in luring you to them."

It was hardly an irrational way to look at the situation, but something in the back of my mind was telling me that Carlisle wasn't right. Why else would they have risked exposure, created decoys and left mysterious messages around the place? No, there was definitely more to this, like the incident that had occurred when those two vampires had taken a sample of my blood; I shuddered slightly thinking about it. Carlisle seemed to have noticed for he had leaned in closer and pulled me down to lay with my head resting on his chest; cold, marble-smooth fingers caressed my cheek.

"I'm sorry to have put you in such a position," he murmured.

I raised my face up to look at him sternly. "I'm a human surrounded by a world of vampires. This was bound to happen sooner or later."

"I was thinking more on the lines of your situation with Edward," he said slowly.

"There is no _situation_," I replied firmly.

"That's because of what I managed to lure you into."

"Lure me into? Give me some credit, Carlisle, I wouldn't have gone along with any of this if I didn't truly want you." I said quietly avoiding his daze. I could feel the blood build up in my cheeks.

"You still ran away from me though," he said as his arms tightened around me.

"I was trying to protect you and the others," I said as he kissed my forehead. Despite his less than warm temperature, I felt oddly comfortable. "The Volturi would have killed all of you if I had stayed."

Carlisle sighed heavily. "They almost did," he murmured darkly.

"With the car crash?" I asked, suddenly remembering the news report on CNN.

"I meant in the park after you left. Jane was all for executing us, but Felix intervened and suggested that we be taken to Volterra to allow Aro and the elders to decide," Carlisle said cautiously.

"But how did you get away?"

"Alice gave me the keys to her Porsche, told me where you had gone and then created a diversion. I managed to get away, but Felix followed me and the only way I could successfully get away was to fake my own death. Alice snapped the brakes and-"

"She did what?" I blurted out in amazement.

"And left me instructions that helped me get away safely," Carlisle continued, stroking my arm reassuringly. "I let our Coven's attorney know of the situation and he handled everything while I arranged to come and see you."

"J. Jenks right?" I said, not taking my eyes off Carlisle. "I saw him on the news."

"He's always been good with the media, and is a very trustworthy associate of ours. I don't know what we would do without him," he said with a small smile, "I just wish we still have protected you better from all this-"

I pushed myself up on my elbows to meet my face to his and interrupted him in mid sentence by pressing my lips to his. Resistance seemed impossible at this point as I let him pull me in further. He wrapped his arms around me, and then rolled us over so that I was underneath him on the couch. I was dangerously on the verge of losing myself completely at this point. But then he pulled away after a moment and stared at me, his eyes were darker than I had ever seen them before.

"None of this is your fault," I said in an attempt to catch my breath. "And so far you have managed to keep the most powerful vampires away from me. I'm rather lucky to be honest."

"You are deluded, Bella. Your life has been on a knife edge since you have known us."

"It wouldn't have to be that way if you -" I rang my finger along his lips and smiled slightly, "turned me. It would make me going to see the Volturi less dangerous."

He narrowed his eyes realization dawning across his face. "Bella,"

I bit my lip knowing full well the response I was about to receive, filled with negative outcomes and foolish realities.

"You are not going anywhere near the Volturi." And he sat up and moved away from me again.

"Yes I am, Carlisle, they are holding your entire family hostage because of me. I can't just let that rest," I said sitting up straight upon the cushions and avoiding his stern gaze. The thunder clapped loudly directly above us.

"You'll be playing right into their hands, Bella, and there is no way I am going to let you put yourself in danger like that."

I rolled my eyes and slid off the couch getting to my feet, my damp clothes had begun to set a chill over my skin.

"Then what else do you suggest we do? Just continue to hide away and let them die?" I muttered folding my arms around my chest.

"I'll find another way. I'm sure the Denali clan wouldn't mind aiding us in this matter," he said, keeping his eyes on me.

Nothing he could say would change my mind; regardless of the risks I knew what I had to do and avoiding the inevitable was pointless. I owed them all too much to simply let this slide. Carlisle's family was the entire reason for my current existence; I had no idea where I would be without them.

"This is _my _problem, Carlisle and I am going to deal," I said curtly, walking towards the corridor and pondering whether or not to get another towel to dry myself off further.

"It's about time I started taking some responsibility in this, and the logical thing to do is to go to Volturi." I had gone barely a few steps when he sped up in front of me blocking my pathway; I said nothing, merely looking at him with my arms folded stubbornly.

I knew I was being foolish, but my frustration with the whole situation had reached its limit. I couldn't even turn around without something watching me in the shadows, and constantly being dependent on at least one Cullen for protection. As much as I hated to admit it, the Volturi were right about humans and vampires being forbidden from associating within their separate worlds.

It was too dangerous, either you had to join the existence of a blood dependent creature or die at the hands of one and those were the choices I was left with.

"If you think I'm going to stand by and watch you get yourself killed than think again, Bella. The whole point of us even being here is to keep you as far away from the Volturi as possible."

At this point I could see the influence of centuries worth of existence within Carlisle's stern gaze. The dominating, authoritative figure he possessed had often been the cause of my blind stubbornness. Although, I had to admit, challenging him with my own decision was somewhat arousing.

"It doesn't seem to be working," I replied coolly. "Since I saw someone lurking on the bridge just as we were leaving."

"I don't see how that could have been the Volturi, they have no idea where we are at present," he said with a confident smile.

"It wasn't," I stated flatly. "It was Emil Valhalla, and he knew I was alone here." I said poking a finger at his chest furiously.

"Emil is far too busy rounding up vampires for his own coven to be following you around Paris," he said more to himself than to me.

I rolled my eyes, his rationale was rather amusing. "Emil wanted me in his coven, Carlisle," I said earnestly. "He knows about my potential and was more than willing to turn me."

"Bella, please be reasonable, if that is the case Emil wouldn't be lurking around in dark corners spying. That isn't his style," he said. "Now will you please get this idea of going to the Volturi out of your head?"

"Why do I get the impression you don't give a damn about your family," I asked, trying to keep my voice level.

"I do care about them, Bella, as you know full well, but I am not going to let you go gallivanting off to Volterra on some foolish notion that Aro wants you for a purpose _other than to_ kill you. The penalty for a human knowing about our world is _death_."

"So change me," I said excitedly. "Turn me into a vampire and then we'll both go to Volturi. Problem solved."

Carlisle shook his head and gripped my shoulders in his hands. "I will do nothing of the sort, Bella."

"So you're just going to let the others die at the hands of the Volturi?" I was shaking my head, half disbelieving now, no matter how he felt for me there was no just cause for abandoning ones' entire clan.

"Of course not. I'll get on the phone to the Denali clan, they are the only other vampires that can keep you safe. I can arrange to meet them in Volterra, if necessary, to save time."

"Leaving me behind, I suppose," I muttered looking anywhere but at him.

"Naturally, it's far too dangerous for you, Bella," Carlisle said, gently tilting my face with his fingertips to meet his gaze again..

"It wouldn't be if you just _turned me_ already," I muttered, looking at him and feeling slightly wary.

"I'm not going to turn you under these circumstances, Bella. It wouldn't be right."

"So what circumstances would change me then? When I am on the brink of death perhaps? I heard that is your style." I pushed past him and walked down the hall towards the main bedroom. It had been a long day and despite Carlisle's reasoning I was still determined to go to the Volturi, even as a human.

I stopped by the long window that opened out on the terrace looking out over the rain soaked street. I opened the window and stepped out into the rain; my clothes were already damp so it made little difference. I leaned on the balustrade and stared down at the deserted street watching the rain drops fall noisily upon the ground. The storm didn't look to be ending anytime soon, and despite the lateness in the hour, I had no desire to sleep. My mind was still raging through a never-ending torrent of troubles. I closed my eyes and let the cool water fall upon me, calming my frustration somewhat. I was going to have to go to the Volturi with or without Carlisle. I had to end this mess once and for all. It would no doubt cause more arguments between us, but I couldn't just allow myself to be hidden away as he wanted. Tomorrow or maybe the day after, I would take a plane to Italy and make my way to Volterra, try and figure out where exactly their headquarters were. No doubt Alice would see my decision and initiate some sort of distraction, even she wouldn't be able to stop me. I knew Carlisle thought I was getting in over my head but he would not change me and what other way was there?

"Bella?" Carlisle's voice called from behind me and I felt as a pair of cold hands clasped around my waist and pull me in against his chest.

"Are you trying to catch pneumonia?" he asked sternly, pulling me back towards the room and out of the storm.

My clothes and hair were practically soaking and my whole body was shivering somewhat. Rational thinking often left me whenever I was in a bad mood, and I could indeed catch some sort of cold after this.

"I was just getting some air," I said maintaining a steady voice as Carlisle closed the window and drew the curtains closed around them. Water dripped silently from my drenched hair and the only way I could warm up was to take a shower, preferably a long one. I turned and walked away to the door, but Carlisle closed his hand around my arm and pulled me forcefully out of the room. We went down the hall and into the bathroom. He switched on the light and hurriedly closed the door before zooming over to the shower and turning it on.

"Carlisle what are you doing?"

"You're soaked to the skin and need to warm up; otherwise you're going to get sick," he said hurriedly throwing a large towel at me.

I caught the towel in my hands and held it close to my chest. "Fine, but I'm going to Volterra whether you agree or not."

Carlisle sighed heavily, frustration lining his features now in a manner of which I had never seen before. "You're not going anywhere, Bella."

"There's nothing you can do to stop me," I said turning to the door and opening it for him. The next moment he had zoomed in front of me faster than I could blink and slammed the door shut, pinning my back against it.

"I have already lost one woman I love. I do not intend to lose another," he said in a voice that resembled a growl, and for the first time I could see the sign of a predator in him. It reminded me that he wasn't a human, but a vampire.

"Don't use your love for me as an excuse to make me bend to your will," I said angrily, trying to push him away from me but it was like trying to push a solid stone wall. "I love you, but I'm not using that as an excuse to make you take me to Volterra." The words came out of my mouth before I could stop myself. _Had I just said I loved him? Yes, yes I did. _

"You're in love with me?"

"Yes," I said feeling my face go pink with embarrassment.

He stared at me with jet black eyes and I found that I was no longer shivering. It felt as if a fire was rising up inside me. The breath caught audibly within me and a fine tremor began running up my spine.

His mouth captured mine and he kissed me with fierce abandon. He lifted me up in his arms and carried me into the shower. I let out a gasp against his lips as the hot water fell on me. He pushed me up against the wall as I coiled my legs around his waist and began to work my fingers along his shirt unbuttoning it.

"Bella," he breathed as he broke the kiss and looked me. The warm water had completely drenched the both of us now. "We don't have to do this, if you have any doubts-"

I stared intently at him as I pushed his shirt off his shoulders and let it fall to the shower floor.

"I want you, Carlisle," I said running my hand along the flawlessly carved muscles that lined his smooth marble-white abdomen. My fingers ran from his collarbone to his stomach, and he groaned in response before claiming my mouth once more.

The sound of ripping fabric hit my ears as he tore away at my sweater, exposing the black and white lace design of my bra.

"Did I say you could do that?" I breathed in a failed attempted to keep my voice level.

"I didn't get any sign of resistance," he said, running cool fingers along my back, before snapping my bra away. It fell to the floor with his shirt and I shivered as he kissed the area surrounding my breast, awakening my starved senses. This was the first time I had been intimate and bare with any man before... I should have felt nervous or shy. But I didn't, there was nothing but my desire for him that seemed to wash away any sense of reservation.

He brought his lips to mine once more and I couldn't help but whimper as his tongue slipped over mine, teasing and licking. The steam of the hot shower brought his scent to my nose in a deliberately blissful fashion. I uncoiled my legs from around his waist, allowing my feet to fall to the floor. Carlisle unfastened the button of my jeans slid them down to the slick floor along with my lacy underwear. My breath hitched as I felt him run his forefinger along my folds.

_If I was going to be naked, then his clothes had to go as well._

I trailed my hands southward until they found his belt. I undid the buckle and then lowered the zipper. The remainder of his clothes fell to the floor and I felt the sudden touch of his erection against my hip, hard and cool. It sent a wild sensation of both lust and fear through me.

I let out a low moan as the chilled fingers of his left hand enclosed around my breast. The feeling made me shiver despite the heated water, as I arched my back in response to his touch. Carlisle bent his head and began kissing my neck, sending another wave of heat charging to my core.

"Bella, my darling," he whispered against my ear before his nibbled it delicately. His right hand slid down lower and I whimpered loudly as he touched my core. He pushed his finger against my clit and my hips bucked twice involuntarily.

He resumed his exploration of my neck with his mouth, suckling and biting down on it gently. There was a fire rising through every fiber of my being as he thrust two of his fingers inside me. I moaned his name like a mantra, over and over again.

"Yes, Carlisle right there… please."

He whispered that he loved me in French, and I leaned back against the wall feeling the cool steel of his body press against mine.

Carlisle's hands increased their pace, going faster and faster. I felt the tension build to a new level of pleasure. I was so close.

"Bella," his beautiful voice whispered in my ear. "Come for me, my sweet." His voice was primal, needy and full of desire.

I closed my eyes, losing myself in the oblivion of pleasure. His thrusts grew harder and my legs buckled. I grinded myself again his body as the surge came over me. I could feel my climax within reach and I whimpered his name so it resembled a scream.

Carlisle's left hand caressed my breast while his right hand remained between my legs.

"Now, Bella. Let go," he commanded. The orgasm flooded through me and my entire body shook. I opened my eyes and looked into his exquisite face. He smiled slyly at me, and I felt his hand pull out from between my legs. The restraint broke within me entirely, and I seized his mouth with my lips. He wasted no time in deepening the kiss, pressing violently against me while he pushed me up against the shower wall.

"Carlisle," I managed to breathe out in a whisper as I broke the kiss. "Take me to bed."

He gazed at me intently for a moment, seeking permission in my eyes. "Are you sure, Bella?"

I moved my hand down his chest, caressing it gently. "Yes," I said and the realization of my words sent a thrill of excitement through me. He would take me, claim me and send me to my breaking point; the first time in my life I would be possessed physically by a vampire.

Carlisle moved over and turned off the shower, before stepping out into the bathroom. He picked up the large white towel and wrapped me up in it before scooping me up in his arms. He brushed his lips against mine once more as he entered the bedroom and gently lowered me down on to the bed.

He lowered himself on the bed beside me, and removed the towel, tossing it aside on the floor. I felt his eyes gaze over my body, just like he had done in my dream, and his own began to smolder. He rolled forward and hovered over me with a devastingly beautiful smile on his lips. "You're absolutely stunning," he murmured, as his hands moved upward to cup my breasts. "As are you," I whispered with a grin. His let out a low, territorial growl as he stared into my eyes, reigniting a fire inside me. He moved his mouth to my neck and began nibbling down my throat and collar bone. The scent of his cool breath sent shivers along my spine and a wave of heat between my legs.

Carlisle placed a hand on my thigh and gently pried my knees apart. "May I?" he whispered in a velvet tone.

I hesitated, feeling the pang of apprehension come over me. Despite being twenty two years old, I was still a virgin and had never contemplated engaging in intercourse with anyone...ever.

"I won't hurt you, I promise," he said, leveling himself to my face and kissing me once more. I could see the compassion and reassurance in his eyes and, slowly, tentatively obliged in parting my legs. I felt his forefinger run tenderly along my sex again. I moaned from the tingling sensation that erupted within me, as he entered and delved deeper inside me.

I moaned again before leaning up and began running my lips over his chest causing him to go in further. Carlisle bent forward to my neck and smoothed his lips over my warm skin up to my ear.

"Je te veux m'amour," he whispered as his thumb met my clitoris causing a sharp rush to engulf me.

_Damn he sounded so sexy in French._

His withdrew his finger unexpectedly as he began to lavish me with his lips, kissing every inch of my skin from my neck to my navel until he reached my thighs. And then, suddenly, unexpectedly, he pressed his mouth to my core, thrusting with his tongue.

_Oh my... this man is beyond divine._

A fire was running through my entire being, all because of this compelling man. Every move he made caused me to want more of him. My mind was no longer clouded with doubt, it was him. I loved him and nothing would change it now, _nothing_.

"Carlisle," I managed to breathe out as his mouth continued exploring my most sensitive part. "I need you, all of you, inside me."

I felt him withdraw and stare up into my face, a smile curling his lips.

"You want this?" he asked as I felt the tip of his shaft at my entrance, causing me to throw my head back against the pillow.

"Yes!" I moaned in a whisper as my fingers dug into the muscle of his chest.

"Are you sure?" he teased, as his lips brushed against my cheek. He moved away and stared up at me with hooded, ebony eyes. "If you want to wait-"

"No I'm ready," I cut him off in a breathless voice.

He lowered his head and gently captured my lips, engulfing me in a deep kiss that caused me to moan beneath him. My arms reached around his neck pulling him in deeper, causing him to groan against me.

He broke away and pushed himself further between my hips and gazed intently into my eyes. "I won't hurt you, my love; I promise."

He drew back and slowly pushed himself inside me, going deeper and deeper. A gasp escaped my lips as he did so, but it was one of pleasure, not pain. I was more than ready for this.

"Carlisle," I whimpered, lost in this wonderful new sensation.

He plunged in further, inch by inch, and my fingers threaded through his blond hair as I arched my back, causing him to let out a groan of approval.

"Mine," he growled as he began to thrust in and out of me, over and over and over again. I moved my hips to meet each of his thrusts. The sensation was beyond anything I could have imagined.

I moaned continuously as he bent his head to caress my breasts with his lips. My body twisted beneath his as he increased his pacing.

"You're unbelievable, Isabella," he said through gritted teeth, pinning me down further. I felt myself shudder as the first wave of my second orgasm rushed through me, it continued on and on, pulling him deeper. I cried out his name in the midst of his loud approvals.

My head crashed against the pillows as the tension rose up within me again.

"Let go, Bella," he said in a firm voice. But I was so lost in the pleasure that I couldn't bring myself to do anything at this point.

"I want you to watch you come, Bella. Come now, come with me!" he demanded.

"I can't... I," the tension was at such a high level now that I was sure it would break me.

"Yes, you can, my love." He moved his left hand downwards and gently moved the tips of his fingers along my folds. The additional new sensation caused the second climax to erupt in me and I moaned loud enough to resemble a scream.

He bucked his hips against me uncontrollably, and fired shot after shot as he continued to deliver the most unimaginable pleasure I had ever experienced. It was pure ecstasy. He leaned down and kissed me once more, and I knew then that there wasn't anyone else I would want, except him, for the rest of my existence.

* * *

It was well past midnight by the time all my energy had been. We had made love three times, although with Carlisle's stamina it could have been more.

Carlisle lay beside me running his fingers along my spine as I rested my head upon his chest, the duvet wrapped around embracing me in warmth. My damp hair spread out in a messy fashion.

"Can I ask you something?" I said, breaking the peaceful silence.

"Is it about when I am going to change you?" he asked, looking at me with a small smile on his lips.

"No, not yet anyway. I just wanted to know how you managed to find me in Paris so quickly," I asked moving my legs along his.

"I tracked your scent. It is much easier since I have been exposed to your blood," he said pulling me in closer and tightening his arms around me.

"You can track my scent?" I asked, unable to conceal my surprise.

"I've been a vampire for a long time, plus your blood has such an unusual fragrance, which made it much easier."

Despite my tiredness, I couldn't retain the dozen of questions that had erupted in my mind at that point. Carlisle seemed to sense this in my contemplative silence that followed. "Does my blood... attract you to me?"

"It does have a very alluring quality, one that I have never experienced before." Carlisle said, studying my gaze closely. "Get some sleep, my love; you can grill me with as many questions as you want in the morning." He brushed the hair out of my face with a tender stroke.

"Just one more thing, and please don't get the wrong idea but–" I tried to keep my voice even. "What's the reason against turning me now? I mean you don't think I'll lose my soul…" It surely couldn't be based on the belief that my soul would be damned for eternity and the afterlife to be impossible, that was Edward's view and one I felt sure Carlisle did not share.

"I don't want to change you with the threats that are hanging over your head at present. Once this situation with the Volturi is over, and you have decided upon the choice carefully, then I will change you. I give you my word."

"So you just want it to be under my own free will and without any burdens or dangers?" I asked slowly.

"Becoming a vampire is a life altering experience, Bella. Not only will you be separated from the world you once knew. But you'll possess new senses and desires. I want you to be ready for that," he said, moving his hand up my stomach and along my chest, triggering my lust for him again.

"So you are not worried about my soul?" I asked trying to keep my breathing steady as his fingers ran over my breast.

He chuckled and pulled my face to his and kissed me lightly. "You will not lose your soul, Bella; even vampires have souls despite some popular beliefs."

"I will change though," I said gently

"True, there is a danger that you will be more irresistible than you are now. I may have to confine you to the bedroom more frequently than before, but other than that you should be okay," he said with a sly smile.

"I won't be able to sleep so I'm sure I can satisfy your demands," I replied silkily before letting a small yawn escape me.

"Sleep, my darling," Carlisle said, kissing me gently on the forehead. "You've had a long night."

I nodded and settled by head further into his chest. I closed my eyes and allowed the long awaited, deep sleep to come over me, diverting me from conscious reality.

~To Be Continued.

Thoughts?

* * *


	17. Chapter 17 An Appointment with Death

**Thank you x1000 for all your reviews, I am really gland you like the *cough* scene between Carlisle and Bella, there is some more to come throughout the course of the story. **

**Also from the last chapter: Je te veux Mon amour = I want you (in a certain fashion) my love. **

**DISCLAIMER: I am not S. Meyer, this story is from my rather weird imagination. All characters are of S . Meyer's creation ,except Charlotte and Emil of course.**

**Chapter 17**

**EPOV**

**An Appointment with Death ~**

"You have disappointed me Edward," Aro said in a slowly calm voice etched with ice. He was pacing along the black and white marble floor of the main atrium of the Volturi layer. Even after a year of being within this place I had never become accustom to the dwellings or the atmosphere that it possessed. My fists were clenched as I stood in the centre of the large circular room, I cast my gaze over to Alice and the others, no longer bound in chains yet still surrounded by almost half of the guard. Jane stood close across from me her red eyes gleamed in the light of the many candles, a small sneer upon the sickeningly angelic face.

_I wonder if we'll kill him, I hope so._

"I thought you would have put more effort into your task, knowing what was at stake." Aro continued in quiet tone glancing briefly at the other members of my family.

"I needed more time," I said through gritted teeth,

"I have been very flexible with you Edward, yet you still continued to dwindle and avoid completing the mission I placed upon you." He stopped in front of me staring at me, his ghostly pale pointed face even more striking with the crimson eyes that fixed upon mine.

_You know how important Isabella Swan is, her fate decides that of your entire clan after all. _

His thoughts rang in my ears like a ringing bell and my tempter rose further.

"Do you have any idea how difficult this was for me? To lie, betray and condemn someone I love to your realm."

Aro raised his eyes brows, looking almost bemused. "Condemn? My dear Edward how very foolish you are." He chuckled and glanced around the rest of his clan who emitted low mutters, Jane actually giggled.

"You, yourself condemn Isabella the day you decide to become involved with her. Disclosing our most precious secrets for some selfish passion you had found for yourself. No, Edward, it is you who has created this situation, you alone."

_If you had only turned her before, when you met her back in America, this never would have happened._

"The only reason you want her is to benefit your chances in this goddamn threat against the Romanian clan. Even if I had changed her I would never allow her to join you." I snapped

"Ah so you admit that you did not want to retrieve Isabella for us then, and that what has happened here has all gone according to your secret plan." Aro began pacing again, his expression almost melancholy.

_So many said that I should never have trusted you_

"Perhaps I should remind you what is at stake here," He continued turning and facing Jane who looked up at him with an eager expression.

"If you please my dear,"

I froze feeling Jane's eyes flicker slowly back to me and I braced myself

for the wave of bone ripping pain that was about to come over me. But it never came instead Jane tore her eyes from me and fixed them, almost randomly upon Alice who was already standing feet away from the others preparing herself, she had seen this coming. I watched as her eyes closed and her face remained expressionless, determined to remain silent through this torture. Felix held a tight grip around Jasper's neck as I watched helplessly as Alice's knees gave way, white hot pain torn within her being as she jerked reflexively biting back the urge to scream. I made to advance forward but Demetri had already come to stand beside me warningly flexing his fingers.

_Move an inch and I'll make sure it will be the last thing you do._

"Let her be Aro this isn't her fault, if you want to punish anyone, let it be me. I am solely responsible for this." I said in a firm tone turning away from Alice.

"Noble gesture Edward, but I think this method is far more affective."

Alice broke her silence and let out an agonizing scream, causing Jasper to violently throw his weight onto Felix and knock him to the ground freeing himself as he did so. Jane was circling Alice keeping eyes upon her, Jasper darted forward and managed to dodge firm blow from Alec who had emerged to defend his sister.

"Edward help me," Jasper called as he wrestled Felix off him in his vain attempts to aid Alice.

It was at times like these that I was excessively grateful for my speed; I skirted around Demetri and added a swift kick to the back of him before lunging for Jane.

Felix who had already throw Jasper across the room and smashed him into the stone wall sprinted to block my pathway.

"Enough! Jane, I think that will do for now." Aro called lazily as he walked away from me. Alice lay motionless for no more than a mere second before she opened her eyes and sprang to her feet, gasping with apparent relief.

"Thank you my darling," He said smiling now as Alice stopped short a few

inches from him. "Felix, Demetri you can release Edward. Alec go and make sure the stone wall isn't too badly damaged would you."

Jane grinned turning back to her previous position. I had never wanted to kill as much as I did now, if only to wipe that disgusting smirk from her face alone. Jasper scrambled to his feet and darted to Alice's side putting his arms around her.

"Aro, we need to decide on some form of action otherwise we're just wasting our time here." Marcus said suddenly, he had remained silent throughout the confrontation.

"Alas you are right, something has to be done. Alice, come I would like to observe you if I may." Aro said carefully.

I felt my sister's eyes flicker to the floor, a look of pure dread on her face.

_Please no, if he finds out it will all be over._

I starred at her tilting my head quizzically; she avoided my gaze entirely and squared her shoulders walking up to Aro who was beaming at her thoughtfully. Jasper remained close by her side, his expression of pure loathing

"How are you my dear?"

"I've been better given the current circumstances." Alice chimed coolly.

"Indeed, now if you would give me your hand." Aro said reaching out to take her hand in his.

Alice paused and cast a furtive look in my direction. "I would rather not, you see -" She leaned forward and muttered in such a low whisper that I had to strain considerably to hear it.

"There are something's I would rather not be exposed to certain persons here present."

Aro looked at her quizzically for a moment and then suddenly understanding glanced directly at me, a small smile curling his lips.

_That problem can easily be fixed._

"Alec," Aro called delicately and in half second the male version of Jane with Dark Brown hair appeared right beside him, almost too eagerly.

"My Lord?"

"If you would aid us for a moment." Aro said looking back to Alice. Suddenly everything went blank, no thoughts, sound, or sight were present in my being. Weightless and numb, I couldn't move an inch, bound by Alec's overwhelming power. Surrounded by darkness, all was silent and still, it felt as though I was floating into nothingness, no thoughts nor feelings to engulf me I was free from the deepened resentment for myself and my actions. Leaving Bella, the love of my existence behind for so long, I could not condemn her for being the way she was towards me.

I deserved much worse and though I knew the wounds were too deep to heal, that her love and trust in me had faded somewhat, I would never give up. Her destiny was bound to mine in so many ways and though I had committed several errors, unforgivable errors, hope never left me. Even if it took a decade, Bella would be mine again as I would be hers.

There was a sudden rush and I found myself back in the present and undesirable reality. The torrent of thoughts from each and every individual in the room resumed echoing around my head once more. The most prominent was Aro's who had resumed his place upon a black and gold lined armchair, with Alice standing close beside him looking sheepish and regretful.

_This is most irregular, never in my life time have I heard of such a thing occurring before. But what a shame he is not with us with her, Marcus could certainly observe this._

"Observe what exactly?" I asked glaring at Aro suspiciously, yet he gave no inclination that I had spoken.

"Do you know where she is Aro?" Caius asked in his low cold voice that possessed a hint of English in his accent.

Aro's lips curled into a satisfied smile as he spoke and continued to survey over the scene before him.

"Paris," He said wistfully, "And she is not alone either."

Alice glared down at the floor momentarily before edging ever closer to Jasper.

Rosalie's thoughts were practically screaming through my mind suddenly and I couldn't help but glance over at her countenance beside Emmett near the stone wall, two guards standing close by them with undesirable expressions of contempt lining their hollow faces.

_Nice going Alice, why don't you just give them our Apartment address and send them on their way to fetch her. All this goddamn sacrifice and for nothing._

"Who is she with?" Caius continued looking quizzically in Alice's direction.

"Carlisle, I believe." Aro said gently. This wasn't much of a surprise to me for I already knew Alice had arranged for him to monitor Bella's safety and round up some extra clans to aid us in this predicament.

"That's impossible!" Felix exclaimed furiously. "He's dead, I saw him die when the car exploded off the bridge back in Boston."

"Carlisle would never die in such an idiotic manner Felix. I dare say Alice, here set it up to make it look like he had died in order to allow him to escape to Paris."

Rosalie threw her hands in the air in frustration and stalked Alice, one of the guards following her close behind forwards.

"What the hell was the point of all this if he was going to find out anyway Alice?" She said crossly.

"I managed to get him away didn't I" She muttered scornfully.

"Yeah and now thanks to you, he -" Rosalie pointed a furious finger at Aro.

"-is going to drag them back here and massacre us all."

"Perhaps I could remind you Mrs Cullen that you are under arrested and have been obliged to remain silent unless permitted to speak." Demetri said warningly. Emmett let out a low hiss of frustration with every intention of ripping Demetri to shreds in his mind.

"Rosalie is allowed to speak her mind if she so chooses Demetri," Aro said with a smile that did not meet his eyes. "I do not intent to kill Ms Swan or anyone one else here."

_As long as they possess a useful talent that will benefit in our cause that is. I doubt those two will remain with us for long. I am bored with them already._

"Charlotte," Aro called towards the far end of the atrium where the auburn haired new born with red eyes was standing dressed in a traditional black outfit and hooded cloak. She responded immediately as Aro beckoned her over. Two days ago when we had first arrived it seemed the existence of this new born would be limited, with no evident power or talent to speak of Aro, along with a vote of many others except for Felix, had decided to destroy her.

"This poor thing has no real use to us." Aro had said looking at the desolate face of the once college student. Felix had gripped his arms around her so tightly that it was impossible to determine which action she was most distressed by, the mere moments before her death a miracle had happened, or at least it felt like one. Charlotte, in obvious anger and fear, had struggled to free herself to no success. That was until she by some miracle moved from one location to another simply by screwing up her eyes and concentrating excessively hard. Aro had been so delighted by this development, identifying her rare talent as "tracing" and placed her in his advanced guard immediately, for extensive training in order that she would be able to transport more than just herself. He had also released her from Felix's claim and after that Charlotte had become much of an admirer towards Aro.

"Yes my Lord?" She asked tracing her way to him in less than a second. He beamed at her as she stood in front of him and bowed.

"I need you to go to Paris for me, to the location of Isabella and her -" Aro flicked his eyes to me slightly. "Companion"

_Such a betrayal, I wonder how he will take it once I have brought them here._

I stared at Aro feeling somewhat bewildered and unable to contemplate his meaning. Perhaps Alice has disclosed the incident that that occurred upon my last meeting with Bella, in her rejection, Aro would see it as a betrayal.

"Certainly, do you have a specific place in Paris at all?" She asked carefully preparing herself.

"The bridge near the Effiel Tower as I have seen from Alice's vision. But my dear please remain discrete do not, under any circumstances, let them know that you are there." Aro said looking at her closely.

Charlotte nodded and moved to a particular spot pulled her hood over her head and closed her eyes, concentrating hard. There was a loud pop and she was gone.

"Alice?" Jasper's voice echoed as he came up side her and put an arm around her waist to hold her steady as she swayed with a blank, far way expression on her face. I instantly tuned out everyone else's thoughts and focused entirely upon hers, observing the vision through her mind as though it was on a television screen, scenes flashed before my eyes.

_Pouring rain cascading over an apartment Terrace a raven haired figure of a pale young woman being led away into the shelter of a familiar looking room. The scene changes rapidly, she is held in an embrace pushed up again a wall locked in a kiss with a man his blonde hair shimmering in the dim light. They pause for a moment, until she is lifted off her feet and threw upon a bed for he resumes advancing on her – _

"No!" I called out in half a yell as the vision broke as Alice snapped back into reality; she glanced hurriedly in my direction with a fearful expression of mixed regret and anger.

The silence seems to linger for an age, Aro watching us from the corner of his eyes as he conversed with Marcus in inaudible whispers_._ A loud crack followed the sudden presence of Charlotte dripping wet and looking flustered. Aro looked up and her beaming now as he beckoned her over.

"What news my dear?"

"They were on the bridge, I saw Carlisle briefly with a black haired girl but I couldn't get a look at her face because her back was turned to me. The pair left in a taxi and I followed them to an apartment block, I would have stayed longer but there was another vampire in a nearby alleyway and I didn't want to be spotted.

"Another vampire, who?!" Caius said sitting up alert and wary.

"I'm not sure" Charlotte replied hurriedly, "I mean he looked the same as the rest of us but I couldn't recall seeing him before."

"Description" Aro said lazily resting his chin on his hand and looking rather bored.

"Crimson eyes, golden brown hair that just touched the shoulders. He was very tall and had a long face. I couldn't see much else of him because he was wearing a bright red cloak that concealed most of his figure."

"Sounds like Emil." Jane said with narrowed eyes staring at Charlotte with a look of contempt.

Caius cast Aro a look of mingled fury as though this assumption was beyond acceptable.

"If it is indeed Emil, then we have a problem on our hands." Aro said after a moment of deep thought. "If he knows about Isabella than-"

"He does." I said still contemplating Alice's vision and the black haired girl Charlotte had seen with my father. "Bella attended his New Year's eve ball back in Serbia during the winter holidays."

Demetri gave out a low growl and Aro let out a heavy sigh closing his eyes for a moment, realization was echoing within him.

_And so it shall be, one of them must depart forever. It is the only way._

"We'll have to go to Paris then," said Jane quickly, almost eagerly.

"Bring them here before Emil can cause any disruption." Alec finished with a determined smirk.

"It seems that Emil has already influenced the situation, no my dears, we cannot go the Paris. It is too risky at present, and if Emil uncovers our plans than we will have a war sooner than you think. No, Bella must come to us."

_And to achieve that all we need to do is to bring Carlisle here, Isabella will automatically follow suit._

"Why would you think that?" I asked before I could stop myself in response to Aro's thought.

"Is it obvious Edward," he said carefully watching my reaction. Alice hastily drew her self up front to him warningly raising her hand.

_Another word and I'll set Jasper on to you_

"Alice," I said sternly feeling myself shaking slightly over the continual reply of the vision in my head.

"It's nothing Edward; you know how Bella is about all this. Believing that our situation is her fault and how she wants to try and save us from this." She said with an unconvincing smile.

"Oh Alice please," Aro said with a smirk, "You can't deny him from the truth in such a fashion."

"I'm not denying him anything Aro," Alice said furiously her hands shaking in spite of her calm nature.

"You are being rather selfish Alice, in concealing the fact that Isabella has now been claimed."

I snapped, white fury engulfed me suddenly and I threw myself upon Aro only to be met by the hard blow of Caius's fist in my chest as he lunged himself in front of Aro blocking him from reach. I slammed hard into the wall across the room and felt my entire body shudder with pain.

"You lying son of a bitch!" I yelled in an attempt to get to my feet. Demetri swiftly moved forward and flipped me over in mid-air. I landed with a sickening crunch on the ground and felt his overbearing weight pin me down.

The idea revolted every core of my being, the idea that Bella would do such a thing and with Carlisle, it was impossible.

Aro stood up and gave Caius a polite nod of thanks before strolling to survey my countenance upon the ground, Charlotte watched close behind with a wary expression on her face.

"I may be many things Edward, but I am no liar. Your own sister will clarify the rest for you." He turned and beckoned to the others to follow him out of the room into a private chamber off the far end of the room. "Come we must council upon the matter at hand." Demetri released me hesitantly before following the others out of the room. Only the guards remained now still surrounding the others, the silenced echoed in the aftermath of the scene. I sat up and brushed the stone dust off myself. Jasper held out a hand and pulled me to my feet, I glanced over at Alice watching her subdued expression fix upon Rosalie.

"Is it true?" I asked her cautiously.

Alice looked almost forlorn at this point and heaved a heavy sigh.

"I don't know."

"I need to go find her," I said firmly, my limited had been reached with the Volturi and I could not keep continuously abandoning Bella in this fashion. I could also find out about the raven haired girl was and what she was doing with Carlisle, I wouldn't imagine that he would ever move on from Esme.

"He kissed her," Rosalie said slowly looking from Alice to me with a persevered expression. "At the ball, on the balcony."

I stared at her disbelieving, yet Alice did nothing to correct her she merely buried her face in her hands. Jasper seemed to wince under the strain of the many emotions inflicted upon him.

"No, Carlisle wouldn't, he couldn't. No one sigh as been given within either his thoughts or yours." I said shaking my head and turning, I had to get out of here.

"We've been trying to protect you." Alice said slowly.

"From what a malicious lie?" I called back edging to the door.

"You can't go Edward; you'll only make matters worse!" Rosalie called as Jasper hurried came up in front of me blocking my path way, the guards watching us closely ready if an attack came.

"She is quite right Edward," Aro's voice called from a distance, the chamber was once again occupied with the elite sector of the guard. Demetri, Alec and Felix had already hastened to surround us in a circle. Marcus followed his two partners in resuming seats upon the platform within the room.

"Now there is only one way in which we may bring Carlisle and Isabella to us." Aro began coolly and I couldn't help but flinch at the sound of their names together. The whole assumption was a lie, a misunderstanding at best.

"A sacrifice must be made, Felix if you would be so kind."

Felix grinned momentarily before advancing upon me with Demetri; Emmett let out a roar of fury and flung himself forward only to be block by Alec's senseless power.

Rosalie jumped forward but was kicked backwards by a guard.

"Get off me!" I said wreasling myself free as Jasper and Alice made efforts to help only to be block by two guards who had pulled their hands behind their back, holding them in a tight grip.

"One move and you'll get double helpings." Jane said in a delicate velvet whisper, a smirk playing at her lips.

_Such a pity_

Aro though with a small smile as I was thrown forwards in front of him.

"It gives me great sorrow to do this to you Edward but I am afraid it is the only way." He asked silkily.

"I would except nothing less from you." I said knowing what was coming, and determined to avoid under any cost. It wasn't my time, not yet anyway.

"Aro, this isn't necessary." Alice and Rosalie said together struggling to free themselves and come forward.

"Oh this is very necessary," Aro said still looking at Rosalie.

"How else can we make an…example?"

"You broke the law and a punishment is in order. Perhaps then Carlisle will realise that he is not above the law despite his diet.

"Hasn't he suffered enough at your hands Aro!" Alice said furiously.

"Consequences must be faced. Esme's death was indeed unfortunate, but she broke the law, a law she knew full well about." He said airily with an expression that gave away the fact that he was highly enjoying himself. Caius rose and walked slowly up towards me a razor sharp object glittering in his hand, he skirted around me followed by Jane.

Rosalie gave a shriek of frustration and darted forward colliding with Demetri as she did. What happened next was beyond anything I could have expected, Alec and Jane lunged upon Rosalie with a sickening scrap.

_There is nothing like a diversion_

The thought flashed across Aro's mind and then I knew what was to happen even before I could have stopped it. Caius scattered backward upon Rosalie as a dozen guards surrounded them, there was a scream followed by a burst of flames and then nothing. The guards departed as Caius and the others straighten up, standing beside the pile of ashes that was, only seconds ago Rosalie Hale.

"No!" Emmett and Alice screamed struggling to free themselves. Jasper bowed his head as his eyes went black with fury. I looked up at Aro, his head tilted in a sympathetic smile.

"My condolences to you all, Charlotte if you would collect the ashes and deliver them to Carlisle as soon as possible."

I was shaking with shock, fury and regret. How could I have missed this, there was no sign no inclination, nothing. Realisation hit me suddenly and I felt my stomach do a back flip engulfed by a sinking feeling.

"Why?" I asked in a low whisper.

"Consequences must be faced Edward, and I know Rosalie was, like Esme, one of Carlisle's creations. It wasn't a difficult decision to make, talent against beauty. Talent wins every time, though there are some exceptions." Aro said looking from Jane to Charlotte who was sweeping the remainder of the ashes into a small white box and sealed it with a lid. Her face looked revolted as she did so; evidently this had not been her supporting idea.

_They killed her, just like that, no warning. Nothing._

"Add this note to the package," Caius said handing Charlotte a folded envelope before returning to his seat.

There was a distant thud and Alice collapsed onto the floor her face in her hands as Jasper stooped down and wrapped his arms around her. Emmett was silent, still, his face expressionless and cold. His eyes black and menacing, he just stared at the position where Rosalie, his wife had once stood, now mere ashes and dust.

~To be continued.

-----------------

**Thoughts?**

**Has Edward discovered Carlisle & Isabella's secret?**

**Why did Aro choose to murder Rosalie out of the others?**

**What is Aro hoping to achieve by sending Rosalie's ashes to Carlisle?**

**And why is Emil lurking around Paris?**

**Reviews are most welcome!**


	18. Chapter 18: The Catacombs

**Hello! Another update, going once again back to Bella's POV and her experience in the wonderful city that is Paris. I noticed many of you found the previous chapter a bit disagreeable and I have to say I don't blame you. **

**There is a twist in this story and it will all be revealed soon.**

**Thank you again to all the new subscribers and reviewers!**

**Onward to...**

**Chapter 18 The Catacombs**

BPOV

_"You have disappointed me, Edward," the high, cold voice echoed around the stone chamber. I looked directly at the dark-haired figure standing before Edward who was on his knees with hatred in his golden-black eyes as he gazed up at the figure._

_"I needed more time, my lord."_

_ "I have been very flexible with you, Edward, yet you continue to dwindle and avoid completing the mission I placed upon you." The crimson-eyed figure stopped in front of Edward staring at him._

_"You know how important Isabella Swan is. Her fate decides that of our entire clan."_

_Edward rose to his feet and turned away, clenching his fists. "Aro, do you have any idea how difficult this was for me? To lie, betray and condemn someone I love to your realm?"_

_The figure called 'Aro' raised his eyes brows, and looked almost bemused. _

_"Condemn? My dear Edward, how very foolish you are." He chuckled and glanced around the rest of his clan who were standing in a tight circle around him in the chamber. A short blonde girl with an angelic face giggled as her master glanced at her._

_"You condemned Isabella the day you decided to become involved with her. Disclosing our most precious secrets for some selfish passion you had found for yourself. No, Edward, it is you who has created this situation." _

_"I'll find her, I promise you, just give me a day and I'll bring her here..." Edward said in a pleading voice. There was silence as Aro stared at him for a long moment and then another voice spoke._

_"It's too late, Edward," Alice said as she stepped out of the shadows. "She has already been claimed."_

_Edward looked up at her and his eyes widened. __"No, Carlisle wouldn't, he couldn't…" _

_Alice nodded sadly. "I've seen it all, Edward."_

_There was a loud crack as Edward's hand collided with the stone wall of the atrium. Large fragments crumbled to the floor and dust scattered everywhere. Edward's eyes glowed red for a moment as the wave of anger overtook him. _

_"If what you've seen is true than I am going to kill him." He hissed furiously._

My eyes flashed opened and I stared up at the white washed ceiling. The light of the morning sun was flooding into the bedroom and it took me a few minutes for reality to come over me. _Just a dream _I told myself as I shifted my head slightly on what appeared to be cold stone. I glanced at the Zeus-like figure lying next to me and the heat flooded into my cheeks.

"Good morning," Carlisle murmured as he leaned down and kissed my lips.

"Hi," I said sheepishly as I sat up and looked cross at the duvet covering half of his figure.

"Sleep well?" he asked with a faint smile on his lips.

I nodded and shifted over to lie back against his chest. "You make a very comfortable pillow."

He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around me, and I rested my head against his collar bone. "Thank you."

"Have you been here all night?" I asked, meeting his gold eyes with my own.

"Of course I have," he said lightly. "You're beautiful when you sleep."

"And weren't you bored?"

"Not at all," he said kissing my cheek lightly. "I read through a few medical journals, spoke to Eleazar on the phone and was entertained by you talking in your sleep."

I turned and looked directly into his face, feeling half suspicious and half embarrassed. "You spoke to Eleazar?"

"Briefly, yes," he said carefully. "He's willing to help in whatever way his coven can with our situation with the Volturi, but…"

I waited for him to continue, unable to say anything due to the heavy tension that had emerged in the atmosphere.

"He thinks that we're fighting a losing battle," Carlisle finished with a heavy sigh.

"Meaning?" I inquired shifting out of his arms and sitting up to smooth out the duvet.

"Eleazar thinks that I'm being foolish by keeping you a human."

I grinned triumphantly. "And he's quite right," I said turning my head to look at him.

"Regardless of what he says, I'm not changing you, Bella, not yet anyway."

I pushed the duvet aside and slid my legs off the bed, dangling them over the floor. "The threat will never be over until you do," I said pointedly. "But you're too stubborn so I'm not going to bother persuading you."

Carlisle seized my arm and pulled me back down against the mattress, unexpectedly. He rolled over and hovered on top of me as his eyes slowly turning black.

"Why would you want to give up your humanity, Bella?" he said, gazing at me intently.

"You know why," I said reaching up to touch his cheek and shifting slightly beneath him.

"The cost is too great," he said leaning down and taking my mouth in his.

"To lose the beat of your heart, the soft warmth of your skin and the beauty of your humanity just for us," Carlisle murmured between each kiss. "Is hardly a fair compromise."

"I would be able to protect you with my powers if I was turned," I said softly as he pulled away from my lips and ran his fingers along my inner thigh, causing my breath to hitch.

"Still not enough." He lowered his head down to my neck, and grazed his lips over my skin. My body reacted instantly as though someone had lit a match within me. _How was this even possible?_

"I can be with you forever," I said, curving my hands over his shoulders and sliding down upon his chest. "You don't need to change to be with me forever," Carlisle murmured as he pressed his hips against mine and parted my thighs even further.

"I'm not going to live forever, Carlisle," I said breathing deeply. "Changing me is the only way." I arched my back and tilted my head exposing my neck to him.

"Stop it," he growled softly.

"No," I said determinately as I pushed myself up to him even further, a wave of heat rising in my abdomen.

I knew I was testing his control with my actions, but I didn't care. I was determined to persuade him down the logical pathway.

"I don't want this just for your benefit you know. I want this for _me_; I've never felt myself as a human, I never fit in properly with this world. Not like I have in your world, anyway," I said gently.

"Bella, please." The control in him seemed to shatter and, suddenly, I felt the tips of his teeth over my carotid artery.

I closed my eyes and waited for the piercing sensation of my skin being broken and the fiery venom to flow in my veins. It seemed that time was standing still as I waited, my heart rate increasing frantically. But then I felt Carlisle pull away from me completely. My eyes flashed open and I sat up, seizing his arm.

"Carlisle."

"My darling, I can hardly change you on an empty stomach," he said, giving me a sheepish smile.

"But-" I started to say, but he pressed his lips to mine before I could say another word. The memories of the night before flooded my mind, and the rush of emotions that had come as he claimed me. If I had only known; I doubt I would have waited this long. I knew that only a vampire could have done this to me, and I somewhat admired that he had managed to resist biting me. Carlisle had never been with a human before me, yet he seemed to understand my body completely and had prepared me well for the experience.

"Is there anything in particular you would like for breakfast?" he asked, breaking away from me, leaving me feeling rather breathless.

"I would like you to change me," I said with a flirtatious smile while pushing the duvet aside and sliding out bed.

"Oh I will, but not yet," Carlisle said gazing at my naked form as he followed me to the closet to find some appropriate clothes. He managed to dress himself in about ten seconds before zooming off into the kitchen.

I finally settled for a knee-length, purple skirt and black top with a matching purple and black striped scarf. I made my way into the kitchen following the smell of freshly brewed coffee and toasted cinnamon.

A full glass of fresh orange juice stood on the table beside a plate of scrambled eggs and a cinnamon-raisin bagel.

"You are full of surprises," I said strolling over to him as he leaned against the other side of the table. I planted a kiss on his lips.

"I know," Carlisle replied running a hand through my hair, before gesturing for me to sit. My eyes couldn't help but travel over his fitted, light blue cashmere sweater and black jeans, it highlighted the paleness of his skin even more than usual and provided that irresistible look about him.

"May I ask why you decided to dye your hair black?" he asked as I took a long sip of juice and started on my eggs.

"I just felt like a change," I said shrugging with an air of obvious falseness.

Carlisle's lips twitched in a small smile as he continued to stare at me. The blood rushed to my cheeks instantly, and I hastily looked down at my plate.

"And I thought it would be harder for you or anyone else to recognize me," I murmured, watching as he went to the fridge and took out a bottle of blood.

"Your blood scent, Bella, is the main tracking source for any vampire, and that you cannot disguise. I will always be able to find you no matter where you go or what you do to disguise yourself." He placed a hand on mine, causing a rippling shudder to flow down my spine. The sudden rush of desire that came over me was overwhelming, and all it took was his simple touch.

"Do you like the color?" I asked, knowing how fond he was of my natural color.

"It certainly makes you even more beautiful then you already are," he said taking a sip out of his crimson stained glass.

_If he keeps this up I might not be able to leave the apartment today._

"I was wondering if you would like to explore the Catacombs today," he asked leaning back in a seat beside me.

"Catacombs? Sure I wouldn't mind seeing an 18th century burial ground," I said with a small grin.

"It is really quite a fascinating place, 300 kilometers under the city's surface."

"Will you be my own, personal tour guide then?"

"If you wish. It would be good to show you as much of Paris as possible with the amount of time I have here."

"Are you going somewhere?" I asked cautiously, before taking a final sip of orange juice.

"You know where I am going, Bella."

"And you're planning on going alone?"

"I called Eleazar earlier this morning and he agreed to offer some outsider support along with Tanya and Kate. We're going to meet in Volterra in the next few days."

"I've always wanted to go to Italy," I said, setting aside my plate and leaning back to stare out of the window.

"Bella, could you be realistic for once?" he said gently.

"I am being realistic. I'm not letting you go alone Carlisle, even if I have to steal away a day ahead of you." I rose and collected the empty dishes and hurriedly washed up them in the sink.

"You can't sneak off, Bella," he said coming over to wrap his arms around my waist, and kissing the back of my head. "I'll always be able to find you."

After I had finished two cups of coffee, and had stubbornly agreed to disagree with Carlisle on the matter of the Volturi; we set off out into the bustling streets of Paris.

After taking a quick taxi that managed to dodge as much as the traffic as was possible we arrived near the _Denfert-Rochereau_ station of the Paris Métro. I was half surprised to have come here of all place, but it turned out that the easiest entrance was beside the Métro itself. Its entrance in a nondescript, small black building located on _Avenue Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy. _

"Are you warm enough my love?" Carlisle asked whilst we were standing in the small queue of people lining up for entry.

"Pretty much, how cold is it down there?" I asked, fixing my scarf around my neck

"A constant temperature of 14 degrees Celsius."

"I think I'm use to my experience with cold environments now," I said putting my hand in his.

He raised my hand up to his lips and kissed it lightly. My anticipation was growing uncontrollably as we descended the dark, sand colored steps a couple of minutes later. In the far center, near the main entrance, stood a large sign right in front of the catacombs entrance,

"**_Arrête! C'est ici l'empire de la mort."_**

Carlisle chuckled at my paling expression and gave my hand a squeeze in comfort. "Add a little bit of drama to the experience."

"Sure, there's nothing like going into an underground cave with a greeting sign saying, stop! Here is the empire of death," I murmured looking around at the Gothic arches reaching towards the ceiling. The whole place was excessively chilly and possessed a somewhat musty scent. We journeyed through the luminous, hollow underground tunnels beneath the capital city. My eyes couldn't help but fixate upon the display of stacked skulls and bones of the dead, moved there from different cemeteries in Paris.

"Back in the late 17th century there was a great deal of disease developing from many of the overcrowded cemeteries of Paris. It led to an outbreak of infection in the citizens living around the area," Carlisle said conversationally, with the air of one discussing the weather.

I decided after a few minutes to avert my gaze to one of the many high standing columns that stood between ceiling and floor.

"So they just moved them underground?" I asked finally.

"Yes, caretakers removed the dead from several cemeteries to the old underground quarries. They eventually became the resting place for the bones of several Parisians," he said.

We stopped front of a large, curved wall lined with what turned out to be rows and rows of human skulls piled on one another along with a great deal of miscellaneous bones.

_For all the beauty and elegance Paris possessed, this certainly gave new meaning to the term skeletons in the closet._

Carlisle held my hand throughout the entire tour of the place, and continued to talk calmly about the history of Paris. I had to remind myself that he had been around during the 18th century, though not in Paris, and he could certainly give an accurate account of everything.

"They had a king who was five years old?" I asked incredulously as we walked up beside the river Seine some two hours later. The overcast sky was lined with gray, rain filled clouds. I had begun to feel excessively hungry and was grateful when we arrived at a riverside restaurant not too far from the Eiffel tower.

"He was called Louis like the king before him, although he didn't reign officially until he was 18 years old," Carlisle replied taking a seat across the table from me and glancing out the window at the slow falling drops of rain.

"So who ran the country until then?" I asked, picking up a menu and scanning the long list of dishes.

"Philippe d'Orleans, and in my opinion he changed France for the better. D'Orleans relaxed the single-minded restrictions imposed on the nation by Louis the Fourteenth. There was more individualism and personal indulgence employed within the realm of arts and fashion."

I found myself engrossed in conversation with Carlisle at every given moment. He had this amazing ability of painting a picture of life in France during past periods, the frequent masked balls and carnivals that were held around the city, a typical celebration that precedes the fast of Lent and culminated with Mardi-Gras. He spoke of how the many streets would be filled with the sound of violins, fifes and drums.

After lunch we took a taxi to the _Arc de Triomphe,_ a symbol of all things victorious in Paris. I barely noticed the 280 steps that led upwards as Carlisle continued his vivid stories of French history revolving around the infamous Napoleon Bonaparte.

I saw it all before my eyes, so vivid did he make it, that I had not released that the afternoon was now transforming into early evening. We had explored a great deal of Paris and I had managed to receive a fascinating lecture the entire time..

I completely forgot about the Volturi or the prospect of Carlisle changing me. It was only when we took a stroll through the Jardin Albert-Kahn gardens, a natural wonderland located right in the city of Paris, that I was brought by to reality with a bump.

"What did you do after we left Forks?" he asked as we sat beside a small lake bordered with trees within the Japanese garden section; there was a great array of colors from the different flowers and plants starting to blossom. I was somewhat taken aback by the question. I had long banished the memories of my time there before coming to MIT and the idea of retrieving them again was not a desirable one. But Carlisle had answered my questions on how he had managed after Esme's death; a topic I knew all too well was difficult for him to discuss.

"I attempted to get on with my life," I said looking down at the damp grass beneath my feet. "I knew that none of you were coming back, so I just had to move on as best I could. The only way I could do that was not to think about any of you, but not to forget. I was terrified to forget though, so I wrote down everything that had happened in a diary." My cheeks were beginning to feel slightly warm with embarrassment.

Carlisle raised his hand beneath my chin and lifted my face to meet his, the gold of his eyes filled with curiosity. "After all that we did, I thought the last thing you wanted to do was remember."

"You did so much for me and it would be rather ungrateful if I simply forgot about you all. I didn't want to forget that vampires existed in real life and not only in Bram Stoker's or Anne Rice's imagination," I murmured with a faint twitch of a smile playing at my lips.

"We are so very different than those creations, in some respects anyway," he said running a finger along my throat.

"You do have some similar qualities," I said thoughtfully.

"Such as?"

"Well the never aging and blood drinking elements, and you are all devastatingly good looking and, in your case, dangerously seductive."

"Dangerously seductive? I wouldn't go that far as to say dangerously," he said pulling me in and capturing my mouth with his swiftly. I was beginning to find that his kisses possessed an annoyingly addictive quality about them, and each time he broke away I was always left feeling overwhelmed with desire.

"Has anyone ever told you how exquisite you are?" Carlisle asked, wrapping an arm around my waist. I smiled and rested my head against his shoulder, allowing the chilling breeze to set my hair into disarray once more. The day had truly been perfect, with Carlisle being attentive and affectionate in showing me all his favorite corners of the city. I loved Paris, and felt that if I could, I would want to remain here for an eternity.

The streetlamps were all brightly lit by the time our taxi drove up outside the apartment. It was an unexpected surprise to see a familiar golden brown hair figure with bone white skin dressed in black standing by the front gate and looking over at us expectantly.

"I though I heard a rumor that you were in town Carlisle," Emil said smugly as we approached him. I kept myself firmly by Carlisle's side and looked on curiously at Emil.

"I didn't think you would take much notice of rumors," Carlisle replied stiffly looking on at his mutual friend.

"I don't, not usually anyway, but when I heard that dear Isabella was here, I couldn't resist investigating for myself." Emil curled his ruby lips into a satisfied smile and eyed my hand placed firmly in Carlisle's.

"Why are you here? I thought you would be recruiting more innocent slaves back in Serbia."

"I'm hardly going to limit myself to Serbia, Carlisle. France possesses many fine, talented clans. I've been trying to get the main French coven on our side but they won't be swayed, perhaps a bit of blackmail is in order."

"Is there any level you won't stoop to?" I asked, half amazed by Emil's callus nature.

"When it comes to organizing a revolution there isn't any level I wouldn't sink to in order to succeed," he replied coolly, his eyes boring into mine.

"You're fighting a losing battle you know," Carlisle said warningly.

"At least I haven't got my clan imprisoned by them," Emil said with a small smirk.

"Who told you that?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"News travels, Isabella, especially in our realm," he said silkily. "I must admit, if I had known you were here I would have made more of an effort, perhaps covered the whole street outside the front gates with flowers for you to walk on."

I raised my eyebrows at Emil, slightly taken aback. Carlisle tightened his grip on my hand. Emil, noticing this, chuckled, shaking his head. "I see you haven't wasted much time in claiming your little human-"

"That is none of your business," Carlisle replied coldly, maintaining a defensive stand against him.

"Yet you still managed to avoid changing her. I must admit that I am rather impressed at the self control you possess. Especially with something so ravishing…" Emil said, as his eyes roamed over my face and down towards my throat.

"Bella, perhaps you should go inside," Carlisle murmured slowly with a prominent hint of warning in his tone. I hesitated staring between the two with the growing feeling of apprehension engulfing me.

"Always so protective," Emil said malignantly. "How very foolish you are, Carlisle. Don't you know that there are some things in our realm, that even _you_ cannot protect her from?"

"He's done a good job so far and I would appreciate if you would cease from talking about me as though I wasn't here," I said taking a step forward towards Emil while maintaining my hold on Carlisle's hand.

"My apologies," he said with a poisonous smile. "I think, Miss Swan, that I had better be going before your dear lover gets defensive on me." Emil gave a small bow and began walking away. I stared after him as he turned a corner down the street and vanished out of sight.

"How on earth does he seem to know everything?" I asked as Carlisle led me up the stairs towards the front door of the apartment.

"Emil has a very powerful gift," he said slowly. "What it is I cannot say, but we can certainly see its affects."

"At least it doesn't have an influence on me," I muttered. "Why did he come to us anyway?"

"Only to make his presence known. I wouldn't put it past him to be up to something." Carlisle opened the door and allowed me to pass inside. I threw off my jacket and hung it up before making my way over to the window and hurriedly closing the curtains.

"Wait a moment," Carlisle said; standing behind me now and looking about the living room. "There's a scent in here."

"A what?"

"Vampire scent, I think someone's been in here." He strolled rapidly out of the room and into the kitchen, then down the hall into the bathroom and bedrooms. After a few minutes he returned to stand beside me, I had remained rooted to the spot as not to disturb anything.

"A vampire has definitely been in here," Carlisle said and held out his hand. In it he held a small, cubic wooden box with a note attached on the top in familiar handwriting. It half surprised me that it was addressed to Carlisle, rather than me.

"It wasn't Emil, was it?"

"No, this scent is totally unfamiliar to me." He placed the box carefully down on the coffee table before looking up at me again.

"Would you mine doing a quick search to make sure nothing of yours has been taken?" he asked, looking at me intently through gold eyes that shone in the dim light.

I nodded and shifted away from him, making a quick search around the area. The kitchen and living room seemed the same as I had left it, as did the bathroom and bedrooms.

"Nothing has been taken," I called, checking the third bedroom; there was a sudden crashing noise from the living room that made me jump reflexively. Perhaps we were not alone here after all, I thought hurriedly returning into the main room to find everything looking the same as ever. No disturbance to speak of.

My eyes glanced down at the small ebony box and crumpled note upon the coffee table, it seemed the impact of the box on the table had caused the sudden noise. Carlisle had barely noticed me coming in, he merely sat along the far side of the couch silent and still, staring at the box intently.

"What's wrong?" I asked, sitting down beside him. He merely shook his head and kept a firm stare at the box. At this point words were not necessary, and even though confusion was coursing through me like wild fire, I restrained myself from acting upon it. I simply wrapped my arms around his shoulders and pulled him into an embrace.

"You really don't have to sit with me, Bella," Carlisle said finally, after almost twenty minutes of silence. He shifted out of my arms and stood up glancing around the dimly lit room, almost suspiciously.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" I said stretching my stiff arms and leaning back in my seat.

"There is nothing to tell," he replied coolly without looking at me. I rolled my eyes and let out an overemphasized sigh of frustration.

"Well then you won't mind if I take a look inside this box then." My hand reached out across the table and lightly touched the lid of the walnut wood box before he snatched it away.

"Bella, this is none of your concern, so please just leave it," he said in a strained voice and hastily put the box in his pocket.

I looked at him with my eyes narrowing slightly; Carlisle was never much of a good liar. The brief glimpse of the written note I had seen looked excessively familiar to the letters I had received from the Volturi.

"You're doing it again," I murmured coolly referring to the whole necessity of secrecy that Carlisle though best to adopt towards me.

"Bella, it is best if you keep out of this. I assure you there is nothing wrong, but I do need to step out for a few minutes and make a few calls. I will be back soon, but while I am gone would you please stay here?"

"I'm hardly going to go running off, Carlisle," I said frowning slightly at the sudden change of mood. I was determined to find out what was going on. A nagging feeling in the back of my mind was leading me to think that the Volturi had more to do with this than Carlisle was letting on.

He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine almost too forcefully. "I wont be long, my love," Carlisle said before turning and hurriedly disappearing out of the door.

I determinately preoccupied myself for the rest of the evening listening to anything loud on my iPod and attempting to ignore the feeling of foreboding that had come over me. And, after a good two hours of being stuck inside, I made my way out onto the terrace and stared across at the illuminated city, the cool breeze rippling through my hair.

The orb of the ivory moon shone directly overhead, casting the silent Parisian streets into melancholy shadows of silvery gray. Memories of the day rushed vividly through my mind, the Gothic arch of the catacombs, the shimmering sapphire blue of the river scene and intoxicating aromas from the abundant and newly flourishing flowers I had passed in the gardens. For the first time in so long I actually felt alive.

"Isabella," the soft whisper of Carlisle hovered beside my ear as I felt the touch of his hand in mine.

"I didn't hear you come in," I said turning to look into his face, the expression no longer desolate, but alive with a fiery emotion that I had never seen in him before. Carlisle's glance fell upon me with a piercing stare that caused my heart beat to quicken, sending the blood pulsing ecstatically through my veins.

"Is everything alright?" I managed to ask, still staring at into his face.

"It will be, very soon," he said pulling my body in closer to him. He kissed me with little restraint and control. I knew something wasn't right, and even if I asked I knew he wouldn't tell me.

He walked me backwards up against the wall pushing me up against it. His hand snaked under my skirt and grazed up my thigh.

"Isabella," he murmured moving his lips to my left ear and caressing it gently. I moved my hands to his shoulders and carefully dug my nails into his skin.

"Yes," I said as calmly as I could manage.

"Would you be willing to allow me to take you on the floor?" he asked with his eyes alight with a mixture of lust and desire.

"I…" my mouth went dry as he spoke. Liquid fire seemed to erupt within my veins in a frustrating manner as I felt his arousal press against me.

"I cannot wait, Bella, I need you," he said as his lips trailed seductively down my throat, rendering me to complete abandonment. I pulled away and stared at his black eyes.

He leaned in towards me again, our foreheads touching as my eyes closed. I inhaled his delicious scent, and I moved my lips to form a silent _yes._

And, then before I could say another word, he had scooped me up in his arms and moved swiftly back into the apartment and into the bedroom.

~to be continued.


	19. Chapter 19: Fatal Resistance

**DISCLAIMER: I am not S. Meyer.**

**Author's note:**

**Hello! I hope you are all having a good weekend, I know i promised to update this chapter sooner, but I have been swamped with College studies atm. Anyway, here is the next chapter, a little longer than i had intended it to be, with a few truths and revelations arise. **

**Thank you so very much for your reviews and comments. I dedicate this chapter to you and all**** my subscribers. **

* * *

**CHAPTER 19**

**Fatal Resistance**

Carlisle's mood continued to be mysteriously reserved for the rest of the week. He kept himself preoccupied with his cell phone, and going out to make arrangements.

It was surreal to think that only a few days ago I had contemplated going to Australia. I would have missed all the passion and fire that Carlisle had generated from within me.

I had woken up on Saturday morning to find the bed empty and a large bouquet of lilies and freesias with a note sitting on Carlisle's pillow.

_Sneaking off and leaving me flowers after sex? _I thought to myself as I sat up and propped myself up against the now broken headboard. This was so unlike Carlisle.

I frowned and stared at the note and for one wild moment I though he had gone to Volterra. I snatched the note up off the flowers and scanned the page.

_Bella, _

_I've just stepped out to do a bit of hunting. Hopefully I'll be back before you have time to read this. But if you should wake, there's fresh coffee and bagels in the kitchen. Don't bother getting dressed, I'll be back soon._

_~Yours, Carlisle_

I folded the note and placed it on the duvet before picking up the flowers. I smiled to myself as I caught their scent and I slowly slid out of the bed. I wondered across the bedroom to the closet and threw on one of Carlisle's shirts; it was too cold to walk around naked in the apartment. I went into the kitchen and placed the flowers in a vase of water. The delicious scent of smoky coffee beans and toasted cinnamon bagels filled the room. I suddenly felt starving so I helped myself to coffee and two bagels with salad and cream cheese from the fridge. The sky was still dark and a glimpse of the sunrise could be seen over the horizon.

I walked back into the bedroom and settled myself on the bed. An odd silence lingered around the apartment and for the first time I felt unease being alone here. I suppose it was because of Emil and his presence in the city, and the fact that he was after me.

It was times like this when I missed Charlotte the most; it was difficult to believe that her fate was now in the hands of a vampire nation. How was she handling the Volturi and the situation with the other Cullens? Not a single word had been heard from any of them since our departure, and though Alice had held a great deal of confidence over the whole plan, I couldn't help but think the worst had happened already. That factor would certainly explain Carlisle's behavior; how else would he react if the Volturi had killed one of his family members? I shuddered slightly thinking of him baring such a loss in silence, keeping it a secret to prevent my irrational reaction and self-blame, and deciding immediately to head to Volterra.

I lay on the bed and tried rereading my old copy of Jane Eyre, but after about ten minutes, I gave up. I needed a better distraction. I reached out and picked up my cell phone on the bedside table. I decided to give my parents a quick call to let them know I would be away for a while. The conversation between my mom was casual, and she even congratulated me on finally moving on with my love life.

Charlie, on the other hand, gave me a mini interrogation about my boyfriend. As much as I wanted to conceal Carlisle for a little longer, the idea of hiding the truth from my parents elicited feelings of guilt; I had already kept so much from them already.. I was grateful for the physical distance because it made telling them a lot easier, my mother took it a little better than my father did.

"Isabella Marie Swan have you lost your mind?" My father had half yelled through the phone.

"Dad, it's not as bad as it sounds-" I started to say.

"Doctor Cullen is far too old for you, Bella. And he's Edward's father for goodness sake."

"Adopted father, dad," I had said as I calmly played with a strand of my hair. "And you know that he's a good guy."

"He's not when he's taking advantage of my daughter and I don't care if he's a widower. Bella you have to stop seeing him."

"No I don't. I appreciate your concern, dad, but I'm actually really happy."

"Dating another Cullen isn't moving on."

"I never planned to fall in love with him," I said before I could stop myself. I bit my lip and closed my eyes, waiting for Charlie to speak.

"Bella," Charlie groaned down the other end of the phone. "They're no good for you, none of them are."

I was about to answer when the bedroom door opened and Carlisle wandered in, carrying a large paper bag. He cast me a look as I gestured to the phone I was holding away from my ear as Charlie continued his rant.

"Something wrong?" Carlisle whispered as he sat beside me on the bed.

"I've just told Charlie about us," I said with a grimace.

Carlisle smiled and reached forwards and eased the phone out of my hand.

"What are you doing?" I mouthed, but all Carlisle did was press a finger to my lips and then bring the receiver to his ear.

"Charlie? Hello, it's Carlisle. I was wondering if I could have a quick word."

I tried to snatch the phone out of his hand but he had swiftly moved across to the bedroom doorway. "Yes, I understand and I'm sure you have a few things to say to me." It was all I managed to hear before Carlisle left the room, evidently intent on having a private conversation with my father. I hung back in the bedroom and waited, trying the hard to fight the urge to eavesdrop.

Carlisle returned several minutes later looking oddly pleased with himself.

"What did you do?" I asked suspiciously as he handed me the phone.

"I eased his fears and doubts about us," he said taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

"He overreacts too much," I muttered darkly.

"Your father loves and cares about you, Bella," Carlisle said gently. "And has every right to be concerned."

I nodded solemnly, and lay back against what was left of the headboard. "Thank you for speaking to him, and calming him down."

Carlisle leaned in and placed a small kiss on my lips. He then turned and handed me the large paper bag.

"Pour moi?" I asked curiously, taking out the white box in the bag.

"Oui," and he leaned forward, gazing down at the oversized shirt I was wearing.

I open the box and glanced down at the neatly folded dark purple evening gown.

"A little something to wear at the Opera tonight."

"The o pera?"

Carlisle smiled and nodded. "I would like to give you the full Parisian experience."

I carefully placed the box aside and moved forwards to wrap my arms around his neck. "Thank you, but you really didn't need to buy me a dress."

"I know, but I wanted to spoil you a little bit," he said, running his fingers along the buttons of my shirt.

I looked down at the dress and felt the blood flow into my cheeks. I didn't like extravagant gifts as I thought they were unnecessary; Carlisle had already given me enough and this dress was going overboard. But I accepted the dress and kept my upbeat mood for the rest of the morning.

The opera was late in the evening and I had some time to kill in the afternoon. I ventured outside while Carlisle stayed in due to the sunshine..

I spent an hour walking around the cobbled streets of Paris, exploring a few of the various book and clothes stores. I ended up buying more than I had planned. Not only had I picked up a couple of books, I and even ventured into a lingerie shop – this was the first time I had done anything like this for the first time, and ended up buying a few sets of lacy, silky lingerie.

I emerged from the store and made my way to the road to get a cab. It was late in the afternoon and the sun was beginning to be overtaken by foreboding gray and black clouds, another storm was coming. As I stood by the curb I caught sight of a familiar auburn-haired figure walking towards me.

Thinking it was one of the Valhallas, I turned around quickly and walked back up the street, but the figure caught up with me and stopped me in my tracks.

"Bella?" the familiar voice of Charlotte Hyde said as she stopped me.

"Charlotte?" I looked wildly around expecting to see half a dozen black hooded Volturi figures approach me, but there was no one except harmless pedestrians.

"It's okay; I'm not going to hurt you."

"Or lead me away like the last time," I said, sliding my hand into my coat pocket and wrapping my finding around my can of pepper spray.

"I didn't know they would do that to you, Bella, I swear it," Charlotte insisted, her crimson eyes fixing me with a pleading look.

"Is there anyone else here with you?"

"No, I came here alone. In fact nobody knows I even came here, they think I've gone fishing with Heidi."

I frowned and moved past her slowly, and began walking up the street again in the hopes of getting a taxi. "How can you just sneak off and come here without anyone in the Volturi knowing?"

"I traced here," Charlotte said as she followed beside me, walking at a human pace. "Took me about five minutes."

"Traced?" I repeated, looking at her.

"Yeah, it's kind of my gift," she said with a shrug. "I can move from one place to another by just closing my eyes and concentrating on the place. There's no distance limit so I can go anywhere I want."

"Anywhere?" I asked feeling slightly baffled.

"Yeah, anywhere, I can take you to Australia in about two minutes."

I blinked several times in an effort to wrap my head around this weird ability that I had only read about vaguely in fiction, and occasionally seen on _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_.

Charlotte seemed to sense my confusion and at that moment she seized my wrist and, looking quickly around to make sure the coast was clear, hurriedly closed her eyes and traced. It felt like I was being sucked in a whirlpool of air, color and sound. It lasted all of about fifteen seconds until my feet met the cold stone pavement again. I looked wildly around and realized that I was on the across the street from Alice's apartment.

"Pretty cool, right? Aro is really fascinated by it. Apparently I'm the first tracer to appear in about three centuries." Charlotte said as she let go of my wrist and grinned.

"Charlotte," I said in an anguished tone. "Why are you here, it makes no sense for you too sneak off and…"

"Alice sent me," she said cutting me off in mid sentence. "She would have come herself but the guards are watching her and the others twenty-four seven."

"Is she alright?" I asked, moving back and leaning against the wall of a small alley. "What about Emmett and Jasper how are they-"

"They're fine, given the current circumstances, but time is running out and Aro is losing his patience," Charlotte said sadly.

"I want to go, I really do but Carlisle won't hear of it," I said crossly, looking down at ground. "I mean he won't even change me."

"Yeah I know, Alice has been keeping an eye on you guys." Charlotte bit her bottom lip and tried not to look at me.

_Oh no,_ I thought suddenly as a feeling of dread washed over me. "Does she know…?"

"That you are sleeping with him?" Charlotte said quickly. "Yes and she is furious, mainly with him."

"Damnit," I muttered under my breath.

"You're quite the hypocrite you know." Her lips twitched slightly. "Telling me off for lusting over our lecturer, and then you end up in the shower with him."

I closed my eyes and groaned, feeling a warm sensation erupt in my cheeks. "Does Edward know?" W_hat kind of question was that, of course he knew. No doubt he had read Alice's visions and seen everything._

"I don't know, to be honest, he hasn't been around much. Aro keeps interrogating him and sending him out on missions." Charlotte walked over and placed an arm around my shoulder, giving me a small squeeze.

"I'm not here to judge or take you captive, Bella," she said gently. "I just wanted to see my best friend again, and persuade you to get your boyfriend to take you to Volterra."

I opened my eyes and looked into her deathly pale face. "I've tried but he's so stubborn."

"He lost his first wife to a bunch of vampires, and it's only natural that he'll be like this. But you have to try because Aro knows he's alive and it won't be long before he starts taking drastic measures." Charlotte gave me a pointed look.

I nodded and looked up at the window of the Cullen's apartment. Carlisle would be waiting for me up there and I only had a few hours to get ready for the opera. Perhaps I could persuade him then, and maybe some of the lingerie would encourage him to change his mind about turning me.

"I'll do my best," I promised and Charlotte threw her arms around me in a tight hug.

"I've gotta get back," she said in my ear. "Be careful out here, Bella, and good luck with the persuasion. " Charlotte pulled away and walked a short way down the alley before tracing away again.

"Bella, are you ready yet?" Carlisle called from behind the bedroom door.

Several hours had past since I had met Charlotte again, and I had spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening in the apartment telling Carlisle about the meeting. I was attempting to making a point of not keeping secrets from one another even if it led to repercussions. He hadn't taken the hint and still mentioned nothing about the mysterious box he had received.

We had dinner together. I was the only one eating solid food, and spent over two hours in deep discussion about every topic that came into mind. One of the many things I loved about Carlisle was the way he could engage me in a long conversation. I was to the point that I had forgotten the task Charlotte had set me. I figured it was best left until after the opera was over to mention the topic of changing me again.

I had a quick shower and then spent an hour and a half dressing in the new lingerie and the purple satin dress with straps that hung off my shoulders. The dress flowed down to the floor and elegantly accented my curves beautifully. I kept my hair down and left it in a wavy style that resembled curls.

I timidly opened the bedroom door and stepped out into the corridor and walked down to the kitchen. Carlisle was leaning against the kitchen counter, dressed in a crisp black suit and tie. _Was there ever a time when he didn't look good?_

"What you think?" I asked standing a few feet away from him. Carlisle looked up from his cell phone to stare at me.

"Isabella…"

"I don't usually wear dresses so…"

But I didn't get a chance to finish my sentence for he had swept across the room to stand in front of me.

"You look phenomenal," he murmured, cupping my face in his hands and kissing me. My arms went around his back and I involuntarily arched myself to him.

"Do we have to go out?" I asked a few moments later as he broke away.

Carlisle chuckled and took my hand in his, leading me to the front door. "We're not going to be in Paris much longer, Bella." He wrapped the black cloak around my shoulders and led me out.

I frowned as we walked down the step of the apartment block and out into the night.

"Are you finally going to take me to the Volturi?" I asked in the backseat of the taxi.

"No, I'm not, but I can't leave you in Paris unprotected," Carlisle whispered in my ear.

"So what are you going to do?"

"The Denalis will protect you, my love."

I nodded and looked out of the window in an effort to keep myself from starting an argument with him again. Actions speak louder than words, and after tonight, hopefully I would have managed to convince him to take a different path.

After fifteen minutes we reached the main opera house in Paris. A Gothic building with cream colored walls and high windows. The glow of many lights filled the main entrance hall as we walked in, and were led up the red carpeted staircase to the main auditorium.

From the corner of my eye I saw the figure of Emil dressed in a concealing, long black coat with matching leather gloves that covered his fingers. The same satisfied expression was etched on his face. He knew I was here, and no doubt wanted me for something.

I said nothing to Carlisle as we took our seats, and spent the next three hours surrounded by the music of Mozart. The opera, _Die Zauberflote_, meaning _the Magic Flute_, did enough to engross me up to the point where I forgot all about my plans, for the moment anyway.

I rested my head of Carlisle's shoulder and drank the Diet Coke that he had secreted into the auditorium.

I only occasionally listened to classical music, and up to now I had never really appreciated it. The complex melodies and the harmony of the different instruments along with the skilled work of the conductor as he guided the singers in their performance on stage was magical. I couldn't help feel a little jealous at the fact that Carlisle had managed to see a production of this with the composer conducting, and when the Opera house and stage were lit by candles and flaming torches.

I knew then that I would want to have the same experiences and memories in the years to come. When I went to the Opera in a hundred years time and saw the difference in everything, while still holding the memory of what it was like in the previous era.

After the performance ended I found that I had no desire to go home so Carlisle walked me along the Lena Bridge overlooking the River Siene. I gazed across at the navy surface lit with the pearl white glow of the moon.

"What do you miss the most about being human?" I asked leaning back against his chest as his arms wrapped around my waist.

Carlisle thought for a moment and then murmured. "Sleeping," his voice was wistful as he spoke.

"I'll probably miss sleeping the most, when you turn me."

"I'm sure I can find ways to distract you," Carlisle whispered against my ear and I grinned sheepishly.

"Would you like to go back to the apartment now?" he asked. I turned in his arms to face him and nodded before pressing my lips to his.

"I'll be right back," he murmured, kissing my hand before zooming off the edge of the road to hail a cab.

There was a sound of scuffling noise from the far left of where we were standing, and I felt my entire being tense. Several hooded figures approached; they were only visible due to the moonlight shining on them.

"I was hoping to run in to you, though I am surprised to see you alone" Emil said stopping beside me and giving me a wide smile.

"I'm not alone," I said calmly. "Carlisle is close by. I thought you were busying luring in other clans, Emil," I said coolly.

"It makes no matter, Isabella, I have no interest in him. How are you, by the way?" Emil asked taking my hand in his and giving it a brief kiss.

I blinked and frowned at him, feeling slightly warily, and pulled my hand hastily away. "I'm fine thanks."

"Even with all these troubles around you? I heard everyone, except Carlisle, has been taken in by the Volturi"

"We're dealing with it," I said turning and continuing up the bridge, Emil following in quick succession.

"You call hiding away dealing with it, do you?"

"I don't remember it being any of your business Emil," I said looking straight ahead with immense determination to avoid those hypnotic eyes of his.

"Anything to do with the Volturi is my business as you know full well. Carlisle may believe that our intentions for a revolution are foolish and impossible, even ludicrous, but I can assure you that we have already made an impact and a severe one at that." He stopped in front of me and prevented my progress any further, this did nothing but increase my frustration even more and I tried, and failed, to push past him.

"I have already managed to acquire a spy within the Volturi ranks, how else do you think I know about your current situation."

"As long as you keep your nose out of our affairs, I really couldn't care less how you know about them," I muttered not looking at him.

"You need help, Isabella. You can't deny that by Carlisle's weak actions he's merely making the situation worse." Emil said sternly.

"He's is trying to protect me," I said, sliding past Emil and continuing up the pathway. In a swift motion he had grabbed my arm and pulled me into a shadowed corner beside the edge of the bridge.

"From a fate that has already been sealed for you, Isabella. The longer you put off the change, the worse it will become for all the Cullens. I would have thought after Rosalie, Carlisle would have come to his senses."

"What about Rosalie?" I said hastily looking directing into his mesmerizing eyes.

Emil enclosed his ice cold hand in mine with a half surprised expression lining his features. "He hasn't told then?"

"What?"

"They executed Rosalie a few days ago."

I wrenched my hand from his and took a step back closing my eyes as the horrible reality washed over me. Rosalie was dead; her ashes were probably in that box Carlisle had received.

"Why her?" I asked frantically. "She has nothing to do with this!"

"Carlisle created her and was, I believed, like a brother to her. Aro probably thought it was a good way to get the message across.

He knew and hadn't told me, though I should probably be furious, nothing but misery and pity engulfed me at present. I couldn't look at anything but at the ground, wanting nothing more than for the earth to open up and swallow me whole.

"Do you see now, Bella, how dangerous keeping you a human is becoming?"

"Believe me, I have tried on several occasions to persuade him to take me to the Volturi, but he wont," I said weakly, leaning back against the wall.

"And quite right he is, too," Emil exclaimed somewhat appraisingly. "You must stay well away from the Volturi with your potential powers; there isn't a single hope in hell of a revolution ever occurring with you in their ranks."

"What are you saying then? I should just become a vampire and continue hiding away from them? Even if I do become a vampire, Emil, that doesn't mean they will leave me alone."

"That is true, hence why you should join our cause in ridding this realm of the Volturi once and for all," he said in a tone that made it sound obvious.

"At the cost of losing the Cullens I suppose?"

"We all have to make sacrifices, Isabella."

I narrowed my eyes and gazed upon him with immediate understanding, he wasn't here to simply recruit new clans to the revolutionary cause, and Emil was here to retrieve me. The thought made me feel somewhat nauseous, no matter how evil the Volturi were I would never risk losing Carlisle over them, not in a thousand years.

"You have been denied your right for too long., At this very moment your powers lie dormant just waiting to be released. They will grant you the freedom you desire, that you deserve." His eyes were locked on mine as he spoke and I felt a faint chill run down my spine.

"How do you even know that I have powers?" I asked, edging away ever so slightly.

Emil's lips curved into an almost poisonous smile lined with overt satisfaction.

"I have many talents, Bella; I can sense a strong and powerful aura about you."

I stare at him critically with a growing feeling of unease coming over me.

"Is that what you tell all the females you intend on claiming?"

Emil chuckled lightly and shook his head. "I don't need to tell females anything; I simply hypnotize them with my eyes. It is a rather useful gift, although it is useless upon you. I realized that during our first meeting in Serbia."

I had a fleeting image of Edward and how he had been frustratingly surprised at not being able to read my thoughts. In spite of myself, I had started believe that maybe there was something unique about me; it also might explain why I was such a magnet for danger.

"If you cannot hypnotize me then why are you bothering me? It is pretty obvious that I want nothing to do with you." I pushed past him and began to walk away, hoping in vain that he would take the hint and leave.

"Hypnosis isn't my only power, Isabella," Emil said as he stepped forward and grabbed my arm roughly, pulling me into his chest with impossible force.

"Let me go," I said furiously trying to wrench his hand off my arm.

"Ending this is the only to move forward, Isabella," he said slowly, keeping me within his grasp despite my resistive struggle.

"Get off me!"

In a swift motion Emil had moved us both off the proximity of the bridge and into a dark and concealed alley between a block of apartments, my body was pressed hard against the wall as he rested his hand on my shoulder.

"I am offering you a solution, an end to this mess."

My breathing began to accelerate as his deep, red eyes looked into mine. It was true that I want to be a Vampire, but not like this. I wanted Carlisle to change me, to have his venom in my veins and not this creeps. The thought of it increased my frantic resistance.

"Emil, let me go, please. This isn't what I want."

"Isn't it?" he whispered, bending his head against my throat.

"Your neck is so delicate, so fragile. I have waited a long time for you, Isabella."

I began in spite of my anger, to tremble, I wanted to move but I was locked in Emil's grasp as he kept me rigid against the wall.

"It is a shame that Edward, and indeed Carlisle, missed their opportunity to take you. They will truly regret that now."

"No!" I said breathlessly trying to free myself, the mere thought of being turned at the hand of Emil made me sick to my stomach.

"You don't want immortality and ever lasting power? How foolish you are Isabella, but you will see. I will show you."

"Carlisle!" I called loudly as Emil's pointed incisors grazed over my skin.

"He won't hear you; my guards are taking care of him as we speak. In fact, he's probably a pile of ashes by now." He pressed his weight fully against me causing my bones to groan in agony. I let out a scream that was silenced as he placed his hand in front of my mouth.

"There's no point, my dear, no one can here you," Emil said softly, his fangs grazed over my carotid artery and I closed my eyes awaiting the sharp stab of pain that would come as his fangs pierced my skin.

"Let her go!" A snarl rang out sudden across the deserted alley way. I opened my eyes and twisted my head to the side to see Carlisle throwing himself forward and knocking Emil on to the ground with a violent crash. Carlisle pulled me behind him protectively, his eyes black with fury as he stared threateningly at Emil who was on his feet again, sneering with malice.

"You have no strength to take her Carlisle. You may have claimed her body, but there is no sign of her blood within you. I am entitled to this."

"You dare attempt to come between me and what is rightfully mine." Carlisle said with a velvet voice drenched in loathing.

"So long as she is human Bella will never be _yours _Carlisle, even If I or the Volturi don't see to it, Edward certainly will," Emil spat, his eyes gleaming with a with a dark light that was almost manic.

"Once Edward discovered what you attempted to do it will be over, this pathetic war you are planning will come to nothing," Carlisle replied keeping me close behind him.

"The war has already begun; it started as soon as the truth of Isabella potential became knowledge to me and Aro. She is easy game and I will have her."

At this Carlisle lunged forward upon Emil. I bac away into a corner out of the way while watching with baited breath as the two vampires fight. Within minutes Carlisle was whipped off his feet and thrown back across the alley, smashing into a wall that cracked slightly along one end from the impact. Carlisle slid down it with a groan of agony leaving his lips. Emil's flawless face was now stained with crimson and the coat he wore was ripped in several places, in a swift motion he had thrown himself at Carlisle's throat.

"No!" I cried running forwards. It was foolish, a human charging for a strong male vampire, who had only minutes ago tried to bite me, but I couldn't stand seeing Carlisle in pain or in danger. It was worth the risk to try save him.

"Get back, Bella," Carlisle's voice echoed across the alley, was followed by a sickening crunch upon the concrete floor. Emil had landed hard on the cold ground and was becoming drenched by the heavy rain.

"Are we honestly going to kill each other Carlisle?" Emil gasped moving himself upright and twisting his arm back in position.

"I don't take pleasure in killing anyone, even someone as despicable as you," Carlisle said cautiously as he got to his feet again.

"You'll change your mind soon enough my friend." Emil launched himself up on his feet and beginning to skirt around me again.

"You lay a finger on her and I might just do that," Carlisle said, edging closer whilst making sure I was safely concealed.

"The longer you wait, the greater the damage will be," Emil said before throwing himself upward and landing a swift blow on Carlisle's chest knocking him backwards. I watched as fell against the brick wall emitting a sharp cracking sound. Emil spun around and seized me again, wrenching the cloak off me and exposing my dress.

"She is truly a delicious specimen; I will enjoy taking her neck," Emil said triumphantly. "I might not even stop at her neck." He grinned menacingly as he pinned me to him. Cold fingers pushed aside the strands of hair and exposed my neck. He began to lowering his mouth upon my throat.

Carlisle rose up against almost immediately, uninjured by the blow, and hurtled himself upon Emil, smashing him down against the pavement. I watched the brief period of battle that occurred before Emil rose up hurriedly, groaning in agony at his disfigured arm.

Carlisle crouched defensively in front of him and kept his eyes on the figures of two Valhalla guards as the approached. The first one wondered over the Emil and raised him up to his feet. "We did not agree on this Emil!" The guard said furiously.

"We cannot wait any longer, my brother, we need her powers now!"

The second guard nodded in agreement and turned, creeping towards Carlisle and me.

"You're out numbered, Carlisle, give up now or die."

"Bella is mine, Emil and you have no right," Carlisle said in a low, menacing growl.

"You're a fool," Emil said and he nodded to his guards. The pair of them jumped and flung themselves on Carlisle. I moved backwards, watching the struggle with wide eyes.

Within minutes I heard a loud tearing noise and the first guard fell to the floor and lay motionless.

Emil and the second guard roared in anger and resumed viciously attacking Carlisle. Emil slid back, seized Carlisle around the neck and held a sharp blade to his throat. "It's over, Isabella," he said, terrorizing me. The second guard got to his feet and pounced, smashing me into the wall. A sharp, agonizing pain erupted from my left arm and the second guard pulled out a long dagger. He wiped his finger along the blood stained blade and turned, gesturing to Emil. "She's ready for you, my lord."

I felt the warm trickle of blood run down my arm and stain my dress. Emil's brief distraction allowed Carlisle the opportunity to launch a kick to his knee cap. There was a cracking sound as Emil fell to the floor. The second guard ran forward to aid his master, but as he did so Carlisle seized him around the neck and ended the guard's existence. The limp body fell to the floor as Carlisle rounded on Emil who had gotten to his feet and ran out of the alley and out of sight.

I closed my eyes and felt the weakening sensation come over me as the scent of blood caught my throat and mouth.

"Bella," he said stepping out of the corner shadows and running to me. He saw the blood staining my arm from my elbow to my finger tips, and his eyes widened in fear.

"It's not deep so you won't need stitches," he said, taking hold of my arm gently. "Come, I'll carry you back." Carlisle scooped me up in his arms and carried me to the opposite end of the alley way. The main street beyond it was only slightly deserted, occasional passersby glanced wide eyed at us as we ran frantically back to the apartment. We burst through the front door and ran towards the foot of the staircase; Carlisle hurriedly lifted me up in his arms again and carried me up the two flights of steps only putting me down once we had reached the safety of the living room. He zoomed across to the bathroom and brought out a medical bag. It took him less than five minutes to disinfect and bandage my wound.

"Wait here for me," he said before turning and going to the front door.

"Where are you going?" I asked, steadying myself on my feet.

"Just to check. Bella. I'll be back in less than two minutes." He shut the door behind him, I could hear the faint thuds of his footsteps move swiftly down the steps.

I couldn't sit still no matter how much shock I was in, my mind still racing through everything that had happened, so unexpected and sudden. Half of what transpired didn't make much sense at all, but there was one thingI was certain of; I had to go to the Volturi as soon as possible. I hoped Carlisle wouldn't argue much , especially after what had happened to Rosalie. I started pacing around the living room holding my hands together to keep them from shaking. The afternoon had officially faded into early evening now and the moon was only visible through the rain clouds of the starless sky. A thousand and one thoughts were circling frantically in my head, remembering everything that Emil had said, the attack back in October, Edward's secret agenda with the Volturi and Rosalie's death. I should have been furious with Carlisle for concealing that from me, but given the current circumstance and my knowledge of his character I knew he was not at fault. For my own protection he had held the burden of sorrow by himself, no doubt it brought back many memories of the Volturi killing Esme. My stomach did a back flip as I thought of her, a death that could have been prevented if the right choice had been made. It was the same with Rosalie; if I hadn't hidden away they wouldn't have killed her, but was this the start of the killings? Would the Volturi continue to murder each of the Cullens until I came to them, the truth of the answer lingered momentarily in my mind.

_Yes they would and I can't let this go on any further. Tomorrow I'm going to them, before they can do anymore damage._

My entire body was shivering slightly and the pacing wasn't helping at all. I wandered down the hall and into the bathroom, my shivering increasing by the minute. I turned on the hot tap and bent over the sink as it filled, before hurriedly washing my face and hands. The heat eased my shivers, and the warm steam that emitted from the water had an almost calming effect. I looked up at my reflection in the mirror, a pale fearful face looked back at me and I noticed the two scratch marks on my neck. Emil's mark, I shuddered and splashed water along my neck ridding myself of his touch.

The door clicked behind me suddenly and Carlisle was standing in the doorway. He was disheveled and slightly damp from running in the rain. His white shirt was stained with crimson and excessively damp, his blond hair was set in wild disarray and the dark gold of his eyes were somewhat haunted. I wiped my face with a small towel before turning to stare at him, feeling the rising emotions engulfing me to the point that I could no longer move. Impulsively I held out my hand to him, and after a brief second restraint broke within him. He moved forward and placed his hands behind my head, capturing my mouth furiously, merging his lips to mind and abandoning all resistance.

I pressed myself up against his hips causing a low moan to escape from him as he moved one of his hands to the strap of my dress. I reacted instantly at the cold silk of his touch against my skin. His hand travelsed towards the rise of my breasts and my rib cage. There was a sudden jolt rippling through his entire body as he lightly grazed my lip with the tip of his fang, and unleashed a minute drop of blood upon his tongue. Carlisle began to pull away almost too forcefully.

"Bella," he said pulling away slowly and staring at my lower lip that was somewhat redder than usual. "What have I done to you?" He ran a finger across my lip wiping away the blood.

"You saved my life," I said keeping myself close to him.

"I cut your lip," he said, running a hand through his hair. "You're making me lose control."

"After the centuries of your experience, I could never cause you to lose control."

"Resisting you is so difficult, and though my nature has helped me develop an aversion to the temptation of blood ever we had _slept together _it harder than usual."

I narrowed my eyes as a cold feeling began engulfing me from within; a nagging thought in the back of my mind reminded me of a repetition of the past.

"I wish you would stop trying to protect me," I said calmly looking at him. "I can look after myself."

"Bella," he started to say but I interrupted him.

"The only reason why the Volturi has your clan is because you won't let me go to them. They killed Rosalie for heavens sake!"

"I still doubt Rosalie's fate, and even if they have killed her, I still wouldn't let you go to them."

I shook my head and turned away from him feeling even colder now, almost subconsciously I began walking out of the room.

"I wish you would show me as much faith as you show me love," I said as I reached out to open the door, and walked into the bedroom. Carlisle followed me and by the time I had reached the bedroom, he had reflexively grabbed my hand and pulled me forcefully into his chest.

"Look at me, Bella," he said in a velvet voice lined with determination. I continued to glare at the bedroom door avoiding his face completely.

"You keep secrets from me and then you expect me to trust you?"

"Bella," Carlisle pushed a finger under my chin and raised my face to look into his.

"The reason why I avoided telling you about Rosalie wasn't because I didn't trust you, far from it. It was because if I told you, said it out loud that they had killed her..." He bent his head and closed his eyes for a moment. I touched his cheek gently, feeling whatever anger or fear I had fade away.

"It would have made it real; foolishly I thought Aro was a better being than this. I was wrong." He finished with a heavy sigh.

"This isn't your fault, Carlisle," I said slowly, gazing into his eyes. "But I wish you would trust me, especially about the Volturi, they want me the same way Emil does; he said so himself."

"I trust you completely, but I cannot risk losing you in this. The Volturi will be dealt with by me, I will fix this and you." He touched my lips with his cold fingertips. "-Remain here and stay safe."

"You're a fool if you think this is nobility, because it isn't. All you are being is a coward," I started to say, but Carlisle interrupted me.

"I would rather die than see you anywhere near Aro; his intentions are no different than Emil's, with a few exceptions."

I sighed, feeling too wary to repeat the same argument again. "You're not going to lose me, but we can't hide away like this."

"I cannot hide away, but you can and you will until the time is right. Until you can be safe," Carlisle said as he tightened his arms around me and kissed me passionately. I couldn't even be bothered arguing with him at this point, the mere feel of his touch on me was proving to be a very effective distraction.

"Bella," he said warningly as I moved my fingers nimbly over the buttons of his shirt, loosening them one by one.

"Stop this. We can't do this again, not yet, the risk is too great," he said in a guttural voice that did nothing but increase my desire for him. I left his shirt open and slid my hand down his chest to the front of his pants.

"I could lose control..."

"I don't care," I said with a sly smile, lowering his zipper and easing my hand inside to touch his shaft, gripping him and caressing his rigid length. Carlisle groaned as his hands clenched around my shoulders and he captured my mouth. Every inch of my body was screaming for him as the tip of his tongue met mine. I stared into his determined face, a small smile playing at my lips, and in a swift motion he ripped my dress and the lingerie into tiny fragments.

"You're so wicked, Doctor Cullen," I whispered slowly into his ear as he lifted me off the ground and pushed me up against the wall.

All my willpower was fading as my hands resumed exploring his chest, caressing the delicate indentations of the muscles on his abdomen.

"Damn it, Carlisle," I moaned as his mouth fell upon my breast, licking and sucking his way around every inch of it... I moved my hand down once more to feel the silky length of his erection, moving my hand in a rhythmic pumping action.

"Oh, God," he moaned, burying his head to my neck and beginning to run his lips along my throat.

"Please... touch me," I whispered slowly into his ear. His right hand moved down my stomach and I felt his fingers caress my clitoris, causing a sharp moan to leave my parted lips. I moved my other hand along the underside of his manhood and continued the gliding strokes along it, increasing my pace ever so slightly.

"I want you more than you can imagine," he said, pausing for a moment before moving down to my neck, grazing the tip of his fangs against my skin.

"Take me then," I said moving my one free hand to run up along his torso. He carried me across the room and onto the bed.

His hands slipped down between my inner thighs and I moaned against him as my senses exploded at the feeling of his hands across my sex, his forefinger encircling my bundle of nerves.

"Carlisle, please…" I gasped as he moved a finger into my center, pushing in and out. "I need you."

Carlisle let go of an evil chuckle as the tip of his fingers met my clit and sent a ripple against my erogenous zones. Tension was rising uncontrollably within my body and I screamed out his name as my first orgasm engulfed every inch of my body.

"What do you need, Bella?" he asked teasing his fingers my clitoris and running his mouth over my left breast. With every move he made I became dangerously close to the edge of another climax.

"I want you inside me, all of you, now!" I gasped breathlessly, feeling my stomach muscles contract.

"All in good time, my love," he said thrusting his fingers inside my core and causing an overwhelming sensation to come over me.

His lips pressed against mine silencing my moans of pleasure. He continued to arouse and tease me with his experienced fingers. His cold touch on my heated skin increased the rising tension within me. I was moaning incomprehensible words of delight.

Slowly Carlisle withdrew his fingers and moved them along my thighs positioning him.

I gasped as the tip of his shaft ran up and down my core, now completely saturated.

"Would you like me to claim you now?" He had begun teasing me with his fingers again.

I reached my hand out and encircled it around his erected shaft, giving it a gentle squeeze that caused him to groan in pleasure. "Bella..."

"Do what you want with me, I'm yours," I said breathlessly, knowing it would send him over the edge. I moved my hand one final time until he pleaded in an anguished moan "Bella stop..." He moved his lips to my neck, nibbling at my sensitive skin as I moved my hands to his shoulders.

He slid deep inside me, causing a rippling shudder to run throughout my entire body. My muscles clenched around him fiercely and loud moans of desire left my mouth in spite of the overwhelming pressure that was building up within me. Carlisle moved in and out responding to my demanding body with every thrust, kissing my lips briefly in the process. He continued driving deep within me, hard and fast.

"You're so warm, so soft and beautiful. I will never be able to get enough of you," Carlisle said lifting my hips and moving in rhythmic motion. We continued in this fashion for a while, the vampire instincts he possessed began to come into play. I felt the tip of his pointy incisors graze my skin along my throat.

"Do it," I whispered feverishly, tilting my neck. His fangs grazed my skin and I knew he was losing his control.

"I can't, Bella," he said in a moan. And a few moments later I felt my head leave the pillow, in a swift motion he had managed to flip us around. I adjusted myself on top of him and shifted slightly.

I moaned as he ran his hands over my chest, the touch of his cold skin seemed to send an electric pulse right through me. He lifted me up and down, over and over again.

A final two thrusts later and the climax engulfed us both completely, he yelled out my name as my muscles contracted around him. Overcome, I lay down and kissed his lips fiercely before he rolled me over onto my back once more.

I lay motionless beneath him with his arms cradling me and I sighed contentedly as a wave of sleep came over me.

~To be continued.


	20. Chapter 20: The Optimistic Delusion

**_A/N _**

_A bit later than usual due to my recent case of influenza over the weekend. Am recovering now and have managed to fight off the writer's block to bring you chapter 20. This one has a pretty big/obvious surprise coming up in it, I cannot wait to hear your comment/thoughts about this one. I have gone back to the POV of Dr C, couldnt help it tbh I have been seeing far to many stills of him from the eclipse and New Moon set these days._

_ I had to admit this chapter was a lot longer originally, but i decided to cut it down for you all and as a result Chapter 21 is half way done! _

_On my profile I have updated some Carlisle Visuals and a few Bella Visuals as well, also a picture of the dress she worn during the New Year's eve ball in Serbia._

_I am getting so many subscribers to this story that I really am quite surprised, many of you have yet to review so please let me know your comments! _

_Thank you so very much to everyone who commented on the previous chapter (I have to admit I was very nervous about that one and how it would be received)._

_If you have any questions for me about this story or anything else in relation, please let me know._

**Chapter 20 **

**The Optimistic Delusion**

**CPOV**

I lay back against the pillow and stared out the window at the sky drenched in morning sunlight. Bella's warm body curled against my chest, her soft fingers against my back and her hair, jet black and tousled upon my neck. She shifted in her sleep slightly and buried her face deeper into my shoulder, her warm breath against my skin. I felt utterly calm, despite the deliciously intoxicating scent flowing through her veins that caused a flame to linger within my throat.

I cast my eyes over the sleeping beauty beside me, there was a small smile teasing her lips as her warm chest snuggled against me, her smooth ivory cream skin glowed slightly in the light of the morning. I ran my fingers along her hair a tangled, chaotic mess for which I was a mostly to blame. The sight of her slow breaths as she slept, the rise and fall of her chest captivated me. The mere thought of her muscles tensing again with desire excites me; her hands completely undid me whenever they met my skin.

This could very well be the last time she would sleep so peacefully in my arms, yet there was not a trace of regret within my mind, I had made my choice. A choice that would change everything, but there was no other way to end this, the deadly fate that hung over my family and us. The Volturi had to be dealt with and as Emil had said, hiding away would achieve nothing; it was cowardice and degrading to Rosalie's memory. She had died for our sakes, and If she was indeed dead, something that I doubted immensely, be it due to denial or instinct I had an odd suspicion that Aro had an under lying plan going on.

It would end today. That I was certain of, the flight had been booked and the arrangements made with the Denali clan. Eleazar, Kate, Tanya and I would go to meet the Volturi let them know of Bella's fate and our position on this _war_ that was lingering on the horizon. In the mean time Bella would remain in the near by town of San Gimignano with Carmen, something I knew she would not be happy with, daring and headstrong though she was, I couldn't let her face them – the risk would be too great even If she was a vampire.

I cast my eyes over to the clock upon the bedside cabin and it was with a grim inevitability that I would have to put Bella through a long day of difficulty. These were the very last hours we would have together for a while in any case; I would miss the mornings, to see her face, half-smiling, pressed against me, hair black and body warm, the woman I loved more than anything else in my arms. This was the last morning. The last time. My fate did not matter at all, it was Bella's that was the main concern, she'd seen far too little of life. Even if it all came to the fatal end of death, something I had long avoided up to now. It would be my fate and not hers. Mortal or Immortal, Bella deserved to live and I was determined one way or another to keep her alive, no matter what happens.

Against my skin, I felt Bella twitching, her hands flexing, her head rubbed against my shoulder as she shifted herself awake. She raised her head up to stare at me through warm chocolate brown eyes, filled with love and warmth and a hint of sadness. It was as though she knew, without my having even mentioned the plan to her. She reached up and touch my face, stroked her fingers through my hair – before pressing her lips to mine. The heat rose within her as I tightened my arms around her and we kept on kissing for several minutes until the realization of the time dawned upon me and I hastily got up, strolling to closet to retrieve some clothes.

"What's your hurry?" Bella asked lying back down across the bed and gazing at me with a half satisfied expression.

"We have a plane to catch in about two and a half hours, so it's best to get ready now." I said pulled on a pair of black jeans.

"Are we going somewhere?" She asked narrowing her eyes in suspicious wonderment. I gave her a reassuring smile and sat down beside her on the bed, watching the reaction on her face, the tiny creases over her forehead.

"Just to a small town in Tuscany, I've arranged to meet a few friends there." I said lightly and securing the bottom of my light blue shirt.

"Hold on a second," She began to say as she sat up and allowed the duvet to slip off her chest, and distracting me somewhat.

"Isn't Volterra a small town in Tuscany?" Her eyes met mine and linger there momentarily; the sound of her heart beat in my ears as its pacing increased.

_So much for keeping discretion_

"We are not going to Volterra Bella," I said calmly, hoping that my expression remained as neutral as possible. It wasn't the time to give anything away yet.

"You mean I'm not going. What are planning to do exactly? Hiding me in a nearby town whilst you go off to see Aro?" She said, playfully throwing a pillow towards me.

_Was she a mind reader or something?_

"No, the reason why we are going there is a surprise my love. You have no need to be so suspicious." I said leaning over and pulling her closer to me.

"You could have told me this sooner," She said sliding out of bed and stretching her arms over her head.

"I would have told you last night, but since you managed to seduce me, I didn't get much of a chance."

Bella gave an apologetic grin and busied herself by brushing the tangles out of her hair.

"You brought it on yourself you know, when you were fighting for me it was sort of a turn on." She giggled and her cheeks grew pinker by the second.

"I shall bear that in mind next time. Now would you please get dressed if I make you some breakfast?" I asked rising off the bed and walking over to the doorway, trying as hard as I might not to look at her naked form. I began to realize the meaning of the term fatal distraction, and if she looked like this now, heaven help me when she became a vampire. I might have to keep her hidden away from prying eyes.

"Sure, sure" She said causally and continued to comb through her hair, evidently aware that I was watching her.

It took a few minutes but I managed, eventually, to tear my eyes away and head into the kitchen, beginning to occupy myself with cooking.

"Okay, I'm all packed and ready to go." Bella asked some twenty minutes later as she sat down upon a stool and made a gesture to her clothes.

"Appropriate enough do you think?" I cast a glance over her apparel, elegant yet simple, despite the color coordination revolving mostly around black, the black skinny jeans and pattern purple sweater dress with a belt around her hip.

"Beautiful, as always" I said handing her a plate of scrambled eggs. She mused over them silently her face concealed over a curtain of black hair for a good few minutes.

"Can I ask you something?" She muttered slowly still hiding her face.

"Anything,"

"What are you going to do about Edward?"

A paused and the familiar surge of guilt flooded through me, for the past few days, I had lost my reasoning over certain issues and in all, honesty I had never expected to advance this far as I had done. It was almost out of character for me, in many respects to control, to respond to my desire that had become a somewhat destructive force. My clan had been captured in Volterra and then there was Edward to consider and the almost adulterous love I had fallen into with Bella. I should have expected this question sooner; I had been mulling over with it in mind for a while and yet, even as the face of reality was throw over me I still could not find a satisfactory response for either Bella or myself.

"We cannot hide away from him Bella, and given Alice's influences he probably knows about us already."

She looked up at me half startled. "Do you honestly think he would have stayed away for this long if he knew about us?"

"Difficult to say I mean he is technically being held by the Volturi so." I broke off moving around the counter and towards Bella, placing my hand in hers on the table.

"Whatever happens we have to focus on the main issue here, and that is keeping you safe."

"I am safe Carlisle; I'm the innocent human here, its you who should be afraid." She said looking up at me with more intensity than intended, her brown eyes wide in fear.

I smiled at her and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I'm not afraid; I have no need to be, when I am with you, my powerful vampiress to be." I disappeared for half a minute to collect the fully packed travel bags and passports from the bedroom that was relatively tidy. The bed had been made, and dresser emptied along with the closet. All that remained was a small leather-bound notebook that lay half opened on the pillow, a pen lay across from the left page. My eyes cast over the newly scrawled line over the centre page in Bella's handwriting resided an unfamiliar quote.

_Like souls that balance joy and pain,  
with tears and smiles from heaven again._

_A man had given all other bliss,  
and all his worldly worth for this,  
to waste his whole heart in one kiss  
upon my fatal lips._

I frowned upon it somewhat intrigued for a few moments, until Bella's faint footsteps grew nearly at the doorway. "Are you reading my diary?" She asked slowly, with mild innocence.

"Where is this quote from?" I asked handing her the open side of the book and nodding towards the scribble.

"Just from an old story I use to like reading." Bella shrugged and snapped the book shut, strolling off to the living to stuff it haphazardly into her shoulder bag.

"What was the story?" I asked following in her out of the bedroom and collecting the coats and scarves in the process. It was early into the month of March there were still the definite hint of winter residing in the air.

"It's not important, we should get going right don't want to miss the flight" She said catching the coat as I tossed it towards her and hurriedly putting it on still avoiding my gaze.

As much as I wanted to press my curiosity further, I reasoned to put it on hold for the moment. Bella seemed hardly in the mood for twenty questions at this point, and so we gathered up the remaining possession and secured locked the apartment whilst making a mental note to return here sooner rather than later, if it were possible.

Bella remained relatively quiet throughout the journey to Charles de Gaulle Airport, preoccupied in thoughts maintaining an almost determined gaze out of the window. She was worried and about what I could barely contemplate, there was an innate quality within Bella to read the bigger picture on certain events, the sudden announcement of our departure and travel plans had no doubt alerted her to the undisclosed plan. I would try at least to make her see reason towards it; mine in any case made more sense than Eleazar's suggestion of bringing her to Volterra, changing her and hiding out until the process was complete and then go to the Volturi.

"Aro won't have much to work with then, she's a vampire and therefore a legitimate member of the species that poses no threat at all." He had said during one of our many phone conversations.

"If she has a rare and unique talent then it will no doubt be exposed when she is changed and you know full well what Aro will do, recruit her into his clan without a moment's consideration."

"He can't force her to join them Carlisle, she hates them as much as you do."

"They can if they put the fate of the other's at risk. She would do anything to prevent their deaths, as you know. Aro is aware of our bonds with each other and he can easily use that against us."

After that, Eleazar had agreed to disagree with me on the matter until we met up in Italy. The plane journey took a greater deal of time than expected, this achieved nothing but increase Bella's nervousness.

"I'm fine honestly," She said playing with a stray strand of her hair maintaining a gaze away from my eyes.

"I don't need to be able to read minds to know something is up Bella,"

She grimaced at the implied joke yet remained silent, turning her eyes to the window.

"The human heart has hidden treasures, in secret kept, in silence sealed; the thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the pleasures, whose charms were broken if revealed."

This made her look at me, half-bemused and somewhat bewildered. A smile broke the thin line along her lips.

"Why are you quoting Bronte at me?" She asked cautiously.

"I'm trying to use a good line in showing how I understand and respect your subdued mood."

"I'm not subdued,"

"You've barely said three words to me since we left the apartment." I said leaning over to her ear. "And though I find the way you play with your hair attractive, I have to admit your silent is killing me. Something is worrying you and I want to know what it is."

"You haven't been exactly open with me these past few days with your odd moods."

"True, but I have an excuse"

"You were trying to protect me." She said with a heavy sigh.

"No, because I know you find the strong and silent type desirable" I said kissing her neck.

"Very funny," She said shifting slightly in her seat. "I want you to be honest with me, are you going to the Volturi and please don't start buttering me up over subject. I just need a simple yes or no answer."

"Yes I am going, eventually." I said calmly keeping my eyes on hers.

"And are you going to take me?"

"No, but I am not going alone. Eleazer has agreed to come with me."

"He's better than bringing me is he?" Bella asked scornfully.

"He can provide some support for our case,"

"And I can't I suppose, what will it take for you to get it into you head that they want me."

"Bella --" I began to say as I placed a hand over hers in a gesture of reassurance that, unfortunately she wasn't buying any of it, not by a long shot. A warm finger pressed against my lips silencing me as I spoke.

"Just hear me out first, please."

I waited watching her gaze fervently.

"I know that as a human, going to the Volturi isn't exactly a clever idea. But as a vampire," she lowered her voice to a mere whisper and leaned closer into my ear. "It would reduce the risk and let's face it I'm going to end up one anyway regardless of whatever Aro or the others want."

I nodded cautiously whilst still contemplating where exactly she was going with this argument. "So why are we waiting any longer, if you do love me and trust me as you say you do, then take a chance, change me tonight."

"Bella,"

"You don't have to decide now; I can give you some time to think about it. But while you do, remember this, I have chosen you, forget the Volturi, and forget the risk and the danger. Just think of you and me, that is what matter after all." She moved away slightly and folded her arms across her chest giving me a small appreciative smile, before casting her eyes out of the window again. I rested my head upon her shoulder more as an act of reassurance than anything else, there wasn't much I could say after that except. "I'll think about it,"

"Thank you," Bella sank back against me still smiling as though she had won, as though the entire problem had been solved. It was rather presumptuous of her to think that becoming one of us would solve the issue entirely. God I was tired of it, I should have just turned her already, last night would have been the ideal time, though the fact that it would have ended the evening in her writhing in pain. But when it was over, Bella would be complete an immortal and mine.

The thought lingered in my mind as we landed at _Galileo_ Galilei airport and made the 30-mile car journey in the hired Audi A3. Bella seemed to hardly notice the speed at which I was going, well above the legal limit. She merely held her hand in mine and continued her silent gaze out of the window evidently attempting to hold up an understanding front while I thought about her proposition. My throat burned as I dwelled upon it, yet to turn her was a commitment, something she would never be able to alter never again would her eyes be the rich chocolate brown, or would she be able to savour the taste of food or drink. A diet of blood, a never altering physique and features, never changing, never aging, I had done it before with Rosalie, Emmett, Edward and Esme, the only difference here was that I was being asked – the decision on her part had already been made.

"Where are we meeting Eleazar and the others?" Bella asked a good while later.

"Outside the Villa Rioddi Hotel, they're staying there for a few days while we decide what to do."

"What to do?"

"Well it's a complicated matter, dealing with the Royalty of Vampires."

"Still deciding whether you could give them a mortal or immortal offering?" Bella said with a small grin.

I raised my eyebrows at her quizzically. "Something like that."

The car eased into the Strada comunate Fontanella just outside the hotel, a towering 15th century villa lined with ancient sandy yellow walls. The main entrance bore a wide revolving door and just beside one of the white marble coulombs that stood between the doorways were two familiar figures, both with simmering black hair and pale skin with a hint of olive in their complexion.

I ease into an empty space across the street, and emerged with Bella who immediately took my hand somewhat nervously, she looked around the area her eyes wide in curiosity.

"Carlisle, it has been too long." Eleazar said with a genuine smile of welcome as I shook his hand.

"I appreciate you for coming at such short notice," I said calmly.

"It was nothing, and this must be the Belle Isabella," Eleazar held out his hand towards Bella.

"You can call me Bella," she said shaking his hand hurriedly and casting a glance at Carmen who was eyeing her suspiciously.

"This is Carmen and somewhere around are Kate and Tanya. They insisted on exploring the town this afternoon."

"How are you Bella?" Carmen asked keeping a neutral expression as she gazed up and down at the figure of the human beside me.

"I'm fine, thank you."

"You must be so worried though about Edward, I heard you two were very close."

Bella raised her eyebrows over at me questioningly; evidently Eleazar had refrained from telling her the full details of the situation.

"We were never close, just good friends."

"Really, how very interesting" Carmen narrowed her eyes at me for a brief moment before turning and walking slowly up the sidewalk toward the two approaching figures both of whom were dressed in brightly colored spring clothing.

"Carlisle!" Tanya half ran down and threw her arms around me in a welcoming embrace, her strawberry blond curls quivering. "You have quite neglected us lately; I was thinking we would never hear from you again after the New Year's ball in Serbia"

"He does have a life you know Tanya," Kate said with a small smirk.

"You haven't changed much have you Tanya" I said moving away from her and keeping my arm around Bella's waist.

"Ah a curse with us old vampires, like our looks our mannerisms can never change." Tanya said looking over at Bella. "And you must be the famous Bella Swan; Edward has told me so much about you."

"Has he really?" Bella asked running a hand through her hair and starring momentarily down at the ground.

"Oh yes, I hear your quite a heartbreaker"

"That's impossible, I could never break Edward's heart as he doesn't possess one." Bella said coolly sliding away me and walking slowly around the gaze at the display in a nearby shop window.

"Tanya" I asked frowning at her sternly and keeping a watch on Bella from the corner of my eye.

"Come Carlisle, you must be slightly suspicious of her and the sudden interest she has in you" She said with a small smirk.

"Meaning?" I replied raising my eye brows questioningly.

Tanya sighed and rolled her eyes as though the answer was obvious. "She's Edward partner,"

"There has been nothing between them for almost three years now and regardless of what happened then it shouldn't cloud your judgment of her now." I said firmly.

"Isn't all this mess her doing, the fact that she refuses to go to them." Tanya continued,

"No, Bella is more than willing to confront the Volturi. It is I who won't allow her to do so."

"He's been blinded by his affections for her," Eleazar said slowly, looking at Carmen to Tanya.

"And who can blame him she is a beautiful girl," Carmen said with a smile, she patted my arm and strolled over towards where Bella was standing her eyes staring into the far corner up the street.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Tanya asked looking intently at me again.

"It's the only way; I can't let my family remain much longer in such danger."

"Well if you are certain, it is best if we go now whilst the area is still quite and the sun is still out of sight." Eleazar said casting a glance over at his wife as she rejoined us followed closely by Bella.

"Are we all set then?" Carmen asked tentatively, I slipped the car keys into her awaiting hand before giving her a small nod and taking Bella aside towards the far corner. The look on her face revealed that she knew full well what was about to happen next and she was far from happy about it, her eyes narrowed as she folded her arms and cast a glare straight into my eyes.

"Darling," I began to say, but she merely shook her head in distain.

"Your going to them aren't you?" She said icily

"Bella, this is the only way." I replied gently

"Oh don't give me that Carlisle, this isn't the only way and you know it." Bella said scornfully.

"It is best for you my love, Carmen will take you to the Villa in San Gimignano and-" I started to say. It seemed that we were repeatedly having the same argument over and over again. It was driving me crazy, why the hell didn't I just give in to her already? Oh yes the prospect of my concious not allowing me to do it so soon.

"If you think I'm going to let you kill yourself on some sordid notion that it is the best thing for me than think again," She pointed a finger into my chest her face resolute.

I sighed and ran a hand through my already tousled hair. I was fighting a losing battle and I knew it, but what other choice did I have, apart from postponing it for three days while she changed into a vampire. We did not have the time.

"Bella, we are going to do this and in the mean time you will be kept safe."

She shook her head and pushed pasted me to walk away up the street, towards the main city square that could be seen in the distance. I followed her mimicking her footsteps to match mine; it would seem that I would have to drag her back to the others at this rate. My eyes cast ahead and caught the distinct sight of a figure dressed in a hooded crimson cloak; they were pacing up and down the half-deserted street corner. The scent that lingered about them was familiar yet at the same time left a feeling of foreboding within me. Time was running out. I darted ahead to stand in front of Bella, blocking her pathway.

"If I have to cart you over my shoulder I will do it Bella, you are not going to get yourself killed because of this."

She said nothing but merely stared wide-eyed pasted me at the crimson hooded figure, the faint sound of their footsteps approaching us. Instinctively I turned blocking Bella from sight to gaze into the face half hidden within the hood, stray wisps of blonde hair flowing about her shoulders.

"Let her come Carlisle," The voice I knew so well, but thought I would never again said slowly as she lowered her hooded and met my eyes with darkening gold ones.

"Rosalie," I said half stunned. "Y-you're alive?"

"Well obviously I am, did you really think they would kill me," She said shaking her head.

"They sent us your ashes, in a box with your name on it!" Bella said walking up beside me her arms folded over her chest. In the distance, I could hear the faint mutters of Eleazer and the others evidently unaware of what had happened.

"Of course he did, how else was Aro supposed to get you guys here?" Rosalie said remorsefully. "Believe I didn't ask for this, right now Emmett thinks I'm dead can you imagine what that is doing to him?"

"Do Alice and Edward know you're alive?"

"Alice probably does, I really don't know about the others." She looked around her surrounding for a moment before leaning in closer. "Listen I don't have much time, I am suppose to be in hiding but I managed to distract a couple of the guards after I tracked you scent."

"Rose- "I couldn't help but smile slightly with relief that flooded over me. Rosalie was alive. Aro was truly a sneaky bastard for doing such a thing and knowing me so well, I had played into his hand, placing Bella at greater risk than before.

"I need to know, are you two together or not. No rubbish, just a straight answer"

I cast a look over at Bella as he hand slipped into mine and held there tightly.

"We are," I said cautiously unsure of Rosalie's reaction, she hadn't been exactly pleased when Bella and Edward were briefly together and heavens knows what she would think now I was with her. To my immense surprise, she actually smiled a genuine almost delighted smile. "I figured, I mean Alice has been practically pulling out her hair over it."

"Does Edward know" I asked carefully and feeling a pang of guilt surge within me again.

"He refuses to believe it," Rosalie said flicking her blond hair back and rolling her eyes. "Look if you love each other then I think you guys should just get the whole changing thing over with already"

I stared at her my eyes widening in surprise, this was far from the usual Rosalie I had known. She had always been against the idea of ever changing Bella, thinking it to be unethical and immortally wrong.

"Okay who are you and what have you done with Rosalie," Bella said before I could utter a word. Rosalie grinned somewhat mischievously. "Please, after what we have all been through do you honestly think I'm going to go against the one single solution to this mess." She shook her head and pulled my arm closer to her and staring at me intently. "It's pretty obvious that you love her, so just change her already and get this over with. We can manage for a few days while it happens, Aro won't have a hope in hell of keeping us for much longer"

Bella grinned at her looking triumphant and somewhat surprised by the revelation.

"And Edward?" I started to say but Rosalie interrupted me in a rush.

"It's a bit late for that since you've slept with her already, yes I know," She said looking at Bella's half-surprised face.

"His scent is all over you, so it is pretty obvious. Please go and change her, I will stall them off for a while until you guys can get away into the next town. If you don't do it now, you won't have the chance again Carlisle." She hurriedly pulled the hood over her head and shot a quick glance behind us to where Carmen, Eleazar and the others lingered, I could feel their stares upon us. Rosalie moved and pulled us both into a quick hug before turning and wondering hastily back up the street, just as the clock tower in the distance struck the hour.

"What are you doing to do Doctor Cullen?" Bella asked leaning in closer to me her brown eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Do you know what calling me that does to me?" I said into her ear and causing her to giggle.

"Oh I think I have a vague idea," She turned away from me and began walking back down the street a triumphant expression on her face. I watched her figure for half a second before bowing myself to fate and following her towards the others.

"Change of plans," I said coming up to Carmen, she was already holding out the keys in her hand.

"Has Bella convinced you to take my advice then?" Eleazar asked with a smile.

"Something like that, listen I need you to keep a stall on the guards should they sound the alarm about us being here." I said hurriedly.

"I think we can manage that," Carmen said with a grin, "Go and make a vampire out of your bride, I am impatient to see the transformation."

Tanya snapped her head sharply to stare into my eyes. "Carlisle, I hope you are aware of what could change after she is transformed."

"I am aware, but I doubt there will be much change on the emotional front." I said before Bella could enquire further. After saying a quick goodbye, we returned to the car and I hastily made a sharp U-turn before speeding back down onto the main road. The next town was only a half hour away, judging by my memory.

"I can't believe Rosalie's alive; I mean that Aro would actually do something like that." Bella said with some bewilderment still lingered in her eyes.

"There is no level he will not stoop to when it comes to getting what he wants." I said giving her hand a gentle squeeze. The reality had barely sunk in; the fact that Rosalie was alive and that in less than an hour I would be attempting to change Bella. She had won the previous plan though still lingering within my mind as the right thing to do was fading away. Everything had happened so fast, it was rather difficult to contemplate all at once.

"Are you sure about this Bella?" I asked as the distance view of the Villa came into sight. She said nothing put merely looked directly into my eyes with pure sincerity and nodded a small smile curling her lips. I wanted to kiss her, to wrap my arms around her and have her as a human for one last time, but that would only delay things. There was still one thing I had to do, want to do before the change. Whether or not it would be well-received, burden upon my mind throughout the entire journey.

~To be continued

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Thoughts?

What do you think could change in Bella emotionally if she is changed?

Could this be the reason why Carlisle is holding back on what he wants?

Why has Rosalie changed in her views over Bella all of a sudden?

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I will probably post Chapter 21 on either Thursday or Friday (New Moon Day )


	21. Chapter 21: Within Temptation

_**A/N**_

_I was going to post this up tomorrow but as I will be away from the computer all day I figured now was the best time. I wanted to have this up before I go and see the New Moon movie and suddenly decide to change my mind over this chapter. I am easily influenced by movie footage, especially when it contains Carlisle so... :)_

_Okay so for all your wonderful reviews I thank you so very very much, I didn't expect to get so many! I'm glad you are all happy Rose is alive! (I could never do that to Emmett!). She is being a bit out of character, and the mystery on how she managed to just vanish and leave a pile of ashes without technically being killed. All will be revealed soon!_

_Some of you have made a good number of predictions over what will happen next and I wanted to say kudos to you for spotting the foreshadowing hints!_

_Subscribers and Reviewers I am forever grateful to you._

_I will be honest I am slighty nervous about posting this chapter in fear of your reactions. Let me know what you think and please be honest._

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**Chapter 20**

**Within Temptation**

**BPOV**

The sky was darkening somewhat as we arrived at the Cullens Villa; sandstone colored building with a sloping red tiled triangular roof. The iron gates creaked loudly behind us as they shut automatically, and I could not help but feel somewhat dazed at what had happened since we had left Paris. It was all so overwhelming it snowballed together; meeting the Denali clan for the first time and discovering that Rosalie was alive and somewhat friendlier than I remembered.. Then there was the prospect that I was going to be turned, in a mere few hours, into a vampire. It was beyond all that I could have imagined, so surreal and yet I felt something else was lying beneath it all.

"Do you like it?" Carlisle asked gesturing to the Villa as he opened the front door and led me inside the expansive and brightly lit hallway.

"How many properties do you own exactly?" I asked gazing up at the high white washed ceiling, from which hung a large chandelier.

"Just the odd few here and there. Properties are a good investment," he said with a small smile.

Every room was spacious decorated in antique Tuscan furniture, the walls varied in color from light apple green to pure ivory white, I found that the color scheme added a more spacious feel to the place. I ventured upstairs with the intent of unpacking and taking a shower to wash the grime from the plane away. Carlisle zoomed up ahead of me and began unpacking our clothes from the bags. He had been very subdued on the way trying to conceal his nervous apprehension. The way he bustled around checking and tidying things gave him away. I couldn't understand why he was so nervous, considering the fact that he had done this successfully four times. _Perhaps he was merely nervous about the outcome and the aftermath. _If that was the case then I was sure that I could come up with something to ease his tension.

"I'm going to take a shower," I said ten minutes later as I pushed the now empty travel bag under the bed. "Would you like to join me?" I asked, standing up straight. Carlisle came up and put his arms around my waist. He stared, somewhat curiously, into my eyes for a moment, keeping his expression neutral.

"I would, but I think I'd better make you something to eat," he said, lightly brushing stray strands of hair away from my face with his fingertips.

"But I'm not hungry," I murmured. Technically I wasn't being honest, but I was hungry for other things, too.

"I have been a doctor for over 200 years, Bella, and I can recognize the signs," he said before pressing his hand against my stomach as it rumbled ever so slightly. I frowned sheepishly and gave a small nod of agreement; there was nothing I could hide from this vampire.

"Fine, but you don't have to cook for me you know," I muttered with a small smile.

"I honestly don't mind. Now you go and have a shower, and take your time, there's no hurry," Carlisle said as he placed his lips upon mine, before I could say another word. For a good few minutes, he managed to make me forget the idea of arguing or even taking a shower. I raised my hands up above his shoulders and ran the tips of my fingers through his hair.

_Perhaps I could get him to change his mind._

How was it possible for one's lips to be so ridiculously addictive? A thousand sensations were flooding through me and I could barely prevent myself from encouraging him further as the tip of his tongue teased my bottom lip. His skills did nothing to ease my desire for him. Every fiber of me seemed to become numb and I felt myself sway slightly against him.

Too soon he began to pull away, breaking off gently as he stepped back somewhat reluctantly.

"I'll be downstairs if you need me." Carlisle turned and walked around the bed and out of the room, closing the door behind him.

I stood completely still for a few minutes, gazing at the door as I and waited for my heart to stop thundering, my breathing to resume to a steady state and the tingling sensation in my body to cease. It dawned upon me that I would not have such sensations like these ever again. As a vampire, they would probably be more intense and demanding. This thought continued to linger in my mind as I made my way into the bathroom, undressing quickly and taking a hurried shower washing away all traces of nervousness.

After my thirty minute shower, I wandered back into the bedroom and searched inside the closet for something suitable to wear. I decided to dress something slightly special, given the occasion, a pale blue dress with flowing chiffon sleeves, trimmed with fine gold embroidery, and a matching overskirt. Alice would have definitely approved of this, if she were here. I brushed my hair and allowed the ends to gently flow past my shoulders. I gazed at my face in the mirror for a long time, losing myself in the reality of the situation. My eyes would never be chocolate brown, and my cheeks would not go pink with embarrassment or delight. My skin wouldn't be soft and warm, but cold and hard. I'd have fangs and a deadly thirst for blood.

I felt the slightest jolt in the region of my stomach and I instinctively pressed my hands to my abdomen. The thoughts seemed to haunt me to the point that I became lost in a sort of trance. It was only when Carlisle's voice resonated from downstairs to tell me dinner was ready that I was brought back to earth. I hurriedly took out the necklace he had given me in Serbia for the New Year's Eve ball and put it on. The sparkling diamonds on my skin was a welcomed reminder of the fact that my skin would soon sparkle in the sunlight. I grinned to myself as I left the bedroom and hurried downstairs.

The smell of fresh tomato and basil hit my nostrils as I entered the dining room. The table had been set for dinner with a large bowl of salad, two wine glasses, one of which was filled with iced water and the other with blood. I smiled curiously at the large log fire burning in the fireplace.

Carlisle took my hand and pressed his lips to my palm before gesturing for me to sit down.

"What's cooking?" I asked casually.

"Pasta," he said before vanishing off into the kitchen, and returning moments later with a large plate.

"Sounds delicious, I didn't know we had food here."

"I made arrangements with the cleaners to leave some supplies here before we left Paris," Carlisle said as he placed full plate of freshly cooked pasta with a tomato and basil sauce sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

"I'm going to miss your culinary skills," I said fixing my eyes on his briefly before picking up a fork and getting started on the pasta.

"I'm not going to force you into anything you don't want to do, Bella," Carlisle said as he took a seat beside me at the table. "If you are having doubts..."

"I'm not," I said truthfully. "I want this more than anything."

"You do realize that you will not be able to see your family for a long time, Bella. And you won't be able to have children. I want you to be certain, and to understand that you do have a choice," he said seriously.

"Is it the same for male vampires, the inability to produce a child?" I asked as casually as possible. I knew I was diverting away from his question, but we had been through it so many times already that I was tired of repeating myself.

Carlisle frowned as he took a seat beside me, the question had caught him off guard and I maintained a cautious silence. "There are theories that suggest a female vampire can conceive in the first year of immortality. But after that their bodies go through a change, similar to that of a menopause."

"So I can have a child even when I am a vampire?" I asked, raising my eye brows.

"It's just a rumor, Bella, and a very unlikely one at that. You'll be in the newborn stage for your first year as a vampire and I doubt you'll be able to with the overwhelming thirst and new demands of your body," Carlisle said taking a sip of blood and gazing momentarily at the fire.

"But what about males? They can reproduce as well, right?" I lowered my fork and felt a sudden sense of foreboding come over me. We hadn't exactly taken any precautions when we had copulated. _What if…_

"Bella," Carlisle said, stroking my arm gently. "You're not pregnant."

"How can you be sure?" I asked feeling my heart beat frantically in my chest.

"Our venom does produce a particular seminal fluid, slightly different to that of the human version, but harmless nevertheless. Sperm usually develops at a core temperature of 34 degree Celsius and since our core body temperature is well below that it is impossible for us to produce any unless exposed to warming environments." He smiled and gently squeezed my hand.

"Like a shower or a swimming pool?" I asked, raising my glass of water to my lips.

"Yes they could certainly work…"

I sighed with relief and placed my glass back down on the table, before finishing my pasta.

"So, with the exception of showers and warm oceans, male vampires are sterile?" I asked, hoping I was not blushing too much.

"I suppose we are yes, don't worry, Bella. I wouldn't have made love to you if there was any risk of you becoming pregnant with a hybrid."

I grinned in spite of myself, judging by the Volturi's perception of the immortal children it was probably a good thing that vampires could not reproduce, sexually at least.

Carlisle seemed to take my silence as a sign of my hidden reservation and he leaned in closer keeping his eyes locked on mine.

"Do you want to have children, Bella?"

I looked up sharply at him. I had a sudden image of a child with chocolate brown eyes and long curly blond hair. I shook the image out of my head and sighed heavily. I knew what he was trying to do, make me change my mind and abandon this whole plan.

"Honestly, yes I would like to have a child," I said with a small smile and I placed my hand in his. "But only with you and seeing as that's impossible I'm not that interested."

Carlisle gazed at me with shining gold eyes that darkened as I spoke. "Are you still sure about this?"

"I have _decided_, Carlisle, and I'm not going to change my mind. I want to be a vampire."

He wrapped his hand over mine and raised it up to his lips, kissing my palm tentatively. "Then I will try and make it as easy as possible for you."

"I thought there wasn't any remedy for the pain that comes with the venom," I said twirling the pasta around my fork and taking it into my mouth.

"There isn't, but I can make so that you won't have to go through it the same way I did," he said slowly, keeping his hand in mine.

"The changes are more prominent after you have been turned, particularly if you are changed from being a healthy human."

"You survived it didn't you?" I said before taking a sip of water.

"I did, but it will be different for you in many ways."

"How so?"

"Bella, your emotional state will be somewhat altered and given the current circumstances it could lead to particular changes."

I placed my fork down on my now empty plate and frowned at the table, unable to meet Carlisle's eyes.

"You think my feelings for you will change after I'm turned?"

He sighed heavily and nodded before picking up my plate and going into the kitchen. I bit my lip feeling a pang of frustration rush over me, as I followed him in.

I knew that being turned into a vampire wouldn't mean a total personality change. And I doubted that I could ever fall out of love with Carlisle. It ran far too deep to be merely tarnished by becoming a vampire; Esme's feeling never changed after she was turned, but then again she was half-dead at the time and hadn't known Carlisle until she became a vampire. I thought over Alice and Jasper, but they were already vampires when they had met. The same was true for Emmett and Rosalie, but still it was ridiculous there was nobody else I was connected to on the same level as Carlisle, not even with Edward.

"Oh, I get it," I said suddenly, leaning against the counter. "You think I will fall in love with Edward?"

Carlisle turned to gaze into my face as he leaned back against the sink. There was a hint of remorse in his guilty expression.

"You're his soul mate, Bella," he said in calmly.

"No, I'm not."

"You say that based on human emotions, but there is a possibility that your old feelings for Edward will return."

I cast my gaze onto the ground, not seeing it at all and a heavy sigh escaped my lips. Perhaps this was the real reason why he was so reluctant to change me, the fear of losing me.

_Fool._

"So you think that my feelings for you are based on hormones and impulsive lust?" I said suddenly.

"Bella." He was in front of me before I had taken another breath; his hands were in mine as he raised them up to his face, his beautiful face, that I could not even look at now. "I have never ever thought of you in such a manner. I know you love me and I hold a hundred percent confidence in you. I always have. However, I want you to know that if your feelings do change I will not stand in your way or selfishly hold you back."

"Oh that's so noble of you," I said sarcastically before I wrenched my hands away from him turning away towards the hallway.

The idea that I still unconsciously possessed a desire for Edward was ridiculous. What we had was barely a relationship and even when I was with him, a part of me secretly wanted Carlisle. I knew for sure that was subconscious – never in my life had I ever been attracted to married man and the mere knowledge of such feelings made me feel ashamed and guilty. During my first visit to Cullens house back in Forks, when Edward had filled me in on Carlisle's history; the two centuries of torturous effort he'd endured to perfect his self-control over blood the blood lust was what started my fascination with him. After that, I found my attraction to Carlisle growing, almost unconsciously. I thought nothing of them at the time because I was in love with Edward; at least I thought I was. Back then, however, my system was being bombarded with teenage hormones.

It was so different now, and it sent a shudder down my spine to even think about leaving Carlisle. I was bound to him now in a way that I could not explain and becoming a vampire, I knew, would not change a thing.

"If you believed that I belong to Edward, then why did you ever get involved with me? Why did you follow me to Paris and -" I broke off as the memories of our first night in Paris washed over me.

Carlisle kept his face serene and neutral, maintaining a distance between us.

"Because I wanted you, Bella. You had ignited a fire within me that I couldn't deny. My intent wasn't to seduce you; I just wanted to be with you in any way possible."

"But you did seduce me and more than once, I might add. And now at the prospect of losing me you simply bow your head to fate and allow it to happen?"

I was starting to see now where the self-sacrificing streak in Edward had originally risen.

"Do you expect me to force you to stay with me, against your own will? Do you think I am capable of being as depraved as that?" His stare was so intent upon me that I actually felt myself back away. "It doesn't matter to me what the outcome of the change is. You can make me your friend, your brother if you wanted, or keep me as your lover. All I want you to know is that my heart and my whole being are yours."

"No," I managed to say in a barely audible whisper. "The truth is that it won't matter to you what the outcome of my transformation means for our relationship. You have already lost your one true soul mate. I am nothing in comparison, just someone you can make love to now and then." I turned and hurriedly made my way down the corridor into the dining room. I came to a stop in front of the ivory marble fireplace and stared at the flames dancing innocently in the grate.

A horrible feeling of embarrassment came over me. How could I have been so stupid? I was foolish to think that what we had could be more than a mere fling. I turned and started to walk towards the doorway with the full intent of going upstairs to my bedroom. There was a sudden motion from behind and Carlisle was in front of me so fast that I barely had time to even consider blinking the tears from my eyes. His white face was rigid and stern, lips pressed sternly together and the gold of his eyes were now jet black, boring into mine with a ferocity I had never seen in him before.

"You know me better than that, Bella. As if I could ever be capable of such a thing. A future without you is one I would rather not have at all. You have become my guiding light in life, filled a part of me that I never thought existed. Every inch of you I love more than you will ever know. You alone have my heart and my soul, damned though it may be. I see you as more than just a lover Bella; I _want_ you more than that. I want you as my wife."

My lips parted as I let a gasp escape me, the meaning of his words registering inside my head and causing my heart to pound violently against my ribs. A sudden numbness had come over my being and I could barely tear my eyes away from his.

"No." I shook my head half-disbelieving. "You can't be serious."

"Oh I am deadly serious." His strong arms held me around my waist and pinned my hands up to his chest. "I want you Bella, and despite what fate might have to offer I am not going to give you up without a fight."

"Carlisle," I moaned against him. "Stop diverting away from the real issue at hand."

"Marry me, Bella," he said firmly as his black eyes stared at me full of intent. I felt him raise my hand up to his lips and kiss it slowly.

This was not real, everything about it was so ridiculously wrong, and yet so right at the same time. He would turn me anyway; my fate was inevitable, I would become a vampire, but to be a wife? Carlisle's wife? The thought of it sent a frozen ripple of excitation along my spine. I was past praying for it at this point, an answer lingered at the tip of my tongue. My heart rate had increased a great deal and I was almost too nervous to answer. What would Alice's reaction be to this? She was the one who had insisted on my destiny being with Edward. Fate had apparently been against us, but here I was standing in front Carlisle, the one I wanted to be with forever. He had broken the walls I had built around myself; the determination I had had to make it alone and be content with solitude was no more. He had reassembled my shattered heart and helped me move beyond the broken scars. It was complicated and possibly wrong on some accounts. My mind was clouded at this point, and I knew that I was fighting a losing battle with my heart, my conscious and even possibly my soul. It was impossible now to go back from this, and in all honesty I didn't want to go back. I wanted this.

"You can certainly pick your moments," I managed to say weakly.

Carlisle slowly slipping one hand into his pocket still keeping his eyes firmly upon mine. He held out a small square black box in front of me and opened it revealing a white gold ring with three icy white diamonds embedded around the center to form a crown. I stared down at it and noticed that in the middle there was a tiny, platinum encrusted crest with several diamond chips around it. This was actually happening, he was actually proposing to me.

"Carlisle," I said as he knelt down on one knee. The light of the fire set the honey colored walls of the room into an almost sinister glow. His face was lined with such intense emotion that I felt like I should look away.

"Isabella Marie Swan, will you marry me?"

"I-," The breath caught in my chest as I tried to speak. His scent intoxicated every inch of me and the beauty of his face left me lost for words. To be with him forever, to have Carlisle as my husband. _I'm dreaming. This can't be happening._ The thought of it sent a tingling feeling along my spine.

"Bella?" he asked again his eyes locked on me.

"Yes, I will marry you," I said breathlessly as my heart resumed a rapid pounding in my chest.

Carlisle took my hand in his gently slid the white gold ring around my finger, its cool touch spreading along my fingers. He slowly pressed his lips to my hand and stared at me with such intense emotion that I had to steady myself up to him.

Carlisle put his arms around my waist and whispered very quietly, "I love you so much, Isabella."

Slowly I leaned towards him and captured his lips tentatively. It was a long silent kiss, languorous and penetrating. A flood of heat engulfed my abdomen, and I lowered myself to the floor and wrapped my arms around his neck. He pushed me back gently and encouraged me to lay down on the silky carpet floor. His lips moved downwards along my throat and along the left side of my neck and began nibbling over my skin. I felt his hand slide down to the hem of my dress. The cold touch of his hand met my thigh and I shuddered slightly in pleasure

"Carlisle," I said, pushing the strands of hair away from my neck and exposed my throat entirely. "Take me."

"Just one last time," he whispered as his other hand pushed the sleeve of my dress off my shoulder. I pressed myself against him once more, feeling the heat pulse through my body – contrasting again the coldness of his chest.

"No, Carlisle…" I started to say but he had resumed in kissing my lips again. There was no hesitation as he claimed my mouth again; the kisses were different this time, laced with a firm determination. Slowly, his lips moved from my mouth and down the side of my neck. My dress was only concealing half of my body at this point. I allowed my one free hand to remain in his hair, the other dug into his back.

"Bella." He shifted up to stare at me again leaving my skin tingling for his touch once more. "I'm not sure if I…" I didn't give him a chance to finish his sentence. I raised my hands to latch onto his shirt and I ripped it open, sending buttons scattering to the floor.

I ran my hand down his chest and delicately grazed my finger nails on his skin. "Make me yours, Doctor Cullen."

Impulsively I raised my other hand to brush away the stray tendrils of hair away from my throat

He kissed my lips fiercely once more, the last time it would be this way. I let out a moan as his returned to my neck again, the sharp points of his fangs upon my skin. I closed my eyes and waited.

"Bella!" Edward's voice rang out from the front drive way the house, the windows shook with the intensity of his sound. Footsteps thundered through echoing along the ground outside. I opened my eyes and blinked frantically in the light. It was all over. The Volturi knew about us and Edward had no doubt taken matters into his own hands and decided to rescue me from Carlisle. I couldn't be changed now.

Carlisle gazed down at me for a mere nanosecond before taking my mouth in his hurriedly. I kissed him back, slightly surprised at my willingness to do so; even under these circumstances I still wanted him. Too soon, he moved away from my lips and down to my neck

"Forgive me, my darling." And I felt as a sharp, piercing sensation erupted over me as he sunk his teeth into my neck, causing a gasp to escape my mouth. My whole body clenched around him, and it wasn't pain that flooded through me, but pleasure, a weakening, melting pleasure entwined with heat. There was a fire rising through my being, burning along my neck, down my arms, engulfing my head and all the way down to my toes. My muscles went lax as I felt his tongue caress my blood stained throat.

I couldn't speak for fear that if I so much as opened my mouth the pain would become too much to bear and my screams wouldn't be silent for much longer. He had been reluctant to put me through his in the first place and I wasn't willing to let him experience the last moments of my human life with me writhing in pain and screaming. I didn't want to hear myself in pain; it would make it all too real.

My breath came out in short sharp gasps as I shut my eyes, keeping myself against him, my whole body shivering. The minutes felt like hours and with each passing moment the pain reached the limit of unbearable. My lips parted and I moaned in spite of myself.

"Edward stop, just wait a second." A second voice, Charlotte's voice I managed to recognize, was the high pitched tone that rang out along the garden.

"Stay out of this, Charlotte!" he screamed as the sound of a door crashed against the wall.

"You're making a big mistake!" That was Rosalie, how the hell was this happening, how did they know, had Rosalie run off and told them?

"Alice never makes mistakes, Rose," Edward yelled as the front door burst open. "Bella!"

Carlisle pulled away with a low growl and stared down at my face. There was blood staining his lips and his eyes were jet black. My heart was beating so fast I thought it would burst out of my chest, it pounded in my ears and head. The pain reached its breaking point as blackness clouded over me. The fire within me engulfed my senses completely leaving me in the burning darkness, unconscious and unaware. I was gone.

~To Be Continued

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A/N

Thoughts?

Will Bella Survive the transformation?

What's Edward going to do when he discovers what Carlisle has done?

Did Rosalie sneakly go to the Volturi and tell them off Carlisle's intensions?

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Next post probably sometime next week!


	22. Chapter 22: Bittersweet

**A/N**

_I bring you another update, and hopefully it should claim down your curiosity after the way I left off in the previous chapter. I believe I left you all hanging in a bit of a cruel fashion._

_I could not have finished this chapter if it had not been for your wonderful reviews, so thank you so much to all of you! I am so glad you are enjoying this story as much as I am. _

_A big thank you to all my new subscribers I have received since last updating. Okay so I have to admit that after seeing the surprise that was the New Moon Movie, totally loved it by the way and am seeing it again tomorrow, I tried very hard not to allow the characters on screen to influence my portrayal of them here too much. Although Mr F certainly did provide some influence in his portrayal of the Doctor :). __Michael Sheen also did a wonderful job in bring Aro's character to life and that did help inspire me when I was writing this chapter._

_I am worried because this chapter is kind of like the "interlude" before the real *cough* drama begins. Think of it as the claim before the storm, so let me know your thoughts and impressions, and please be honest. _

_If you have any questions let me know._

_I want to credit Alexandre Desplat because without his wonderful work in composing the New Moon score I doubt I could have finished this. __I highly recommend it. _

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**Chapter 22: Bittersweet Damages**

**CPOV**

I readjusted Bella's dress so that it covered her chest. When she was properly covered I lifted her in my arms and zoomed up the staircase just as Edward's footsteps came thundering down the corridor.

I kicked the bedroom door open and lay Bella down on the bed. I settled myself up against the headboard and cradled Bella in my arms, stroking her cheek gently. It was no longer a delicate pink, but pale white and steadily growing colder. Her heartbeat had accelerated to its maximum systolic cycle and I knew that it would be only a matter of time until the venom engulfed her being entirely. I gazed down at Bella's limb and lifeless figure, feeling a wave of horror come over me_. What had I done?_

The bedroom door burst open and Edward came sprinting inside, he was the most livid that I had ever seen him.

He stared down at Bella's unconscious figure in my arms. In the brief moment of distraction I had forgotten to button up my shirt and it was hanging loose and open.

"Bella, Bella! No, no!" he rushed forward and collapsed beside the bed. "What have you done!" His words came out in a venom laced hiss as I eased Bella onto the bed and stood up, wiping the trails of blood from lips. Every fiber of my being felt alive, a curse of human blood was that it had an addictive influence over the mind and body; it energized and reinvigorated us in a way no human could ever imagine. If I had only known of the undiluted power of Bella's blood, I doubt I would have even consented to changing her. It took every ounce of strength I had left in me to pull away and not drain her dry. As much as I hated to admit it, Bella's blood was the sweetest I had ever tasted.

"Edward, I need you to understand," I said in the calmest tone I could manage.

"Understand?" Edward sprang to his feet and lunged, throwing me against the wall with a crash. I did nothing to fight him; what point was there in doing so after I had betrayed him in such an unforgivable manner? The fragments of paint and brick crumbled onto carpet.

"You promised me you wouldn't let anything happen and I trusted you! I trusted you to take care of her, to protect her and instead you took advantage of her!"

The sound of her heartbeat was slowly fading, the lingering thump echoed almost remorsefully about the room. Bella was indeed dying, she had to in order to change and Edward knew that. For him to think she had been killed was beyond foolish – my thoughts were open to him now and he would see everything.

"There was no other way to end this, Edward," I managed to say as his hand tightly gripped my throat.

"All you've done is played right into Aro's hands. Can't you see he planned this all along?" Edward pulled me away from the wall and threw me across the room. I felt my back collide with the dressing table as the mirror upon it shattered into a thousand tiny pieces.

"I'll never forgive you for this," Edward said, his eyes black with fury.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Edward, but I believe you had every intention of doing this yourself," I said, wincing as I got to my feet and brushed the pieces of glass off my shoulders.

Edward attempted to lunge for me again, but at that very moment, there was a loud snapping sound and a figure dressed in familiar Volturi guard apparel appeared beside the doorway. I recognized her immediately as Charlotte, though I was still surprised at how she had managed to simply appear out of thin air.

"We really don't have time for this," she said hurrying over and standing between us with her hands raised.

"Keep out of this, Charlotte!" Edward said through clenched teeth and as he spun around to face me again. "You have already taken enough from her already without damning her soul on top of it, Carlisle."

Charlotte made a motion and pushed Edward back, she let out a half exasperated sigh.

"If we don't get back to headquarters within the next ten minutes, there will be nothing left of your family," she said furiously before turning and moving over to the unconscious figure of Bella who was motionless on the bed.

"You're taking her to them?" I managed to say before Edward moved to Charlotte's side.

"We have no choice, Carlisle. Aro knows everything," Rosalie's voice came from near the doorway. She held a silver pocket watch in her hand and wore a frantic expression on her face. Charlotte was already easing Bella into an upright position whilst Edward adjusted himself to take Bella in his arms. I came up to the other side of the bed and slide Bella over, before scooping her up in my arms. I was determined to say close to her at all times.

"How does he know?" I asked Charlotte, steadying Bella's head against my chest.

"Don't touch her," Edward spat, leaning over to taken Bella in his arms. His eyes caught sight of the ring on her finger and he froze for a moment, before slowly moving his head and looking me in the face.

"You've got a real nerve," he said in a deadly whisper, straightening up. If there was any time for me to feel guilt, it was then, but there was none to speak of. I loved her and intended to make Bella my wife. For now at least, Edward's role in her life was non existent.

"Edward," I began to say but he cut me off furiously.

"I don't want to hear it."

"For heavens sake, Edward," Charlotte said giving him a small smack on the arm and causing him to flinch upon the sudden impact.

"I told you to keep out of this!" he said, gazing at Bella as she remained motionless and unaware. The only sound coming from her was that of a changing heart. The process was happening faster than I had expected.

"Carlisle," Rosalie began in a low voice, "I swear I had nothing to do with this. It seems Alice had a vision and Aro unfortunately saw it. I only realized when Charlotte called me."

"Alice had a vision and Aro being Aro couldn't resist taking a look and managed to see everything. He went slightly manic and demanded that we go and fetch both of you immediately," Charlotte said as she began pulling Edward over to the center of the room and glancing at the clock at hung on the wall.

"Two minutes. Okay, Edward, I need you to hold on tight to my arm. I can't risk screwing this up. Carlisle, I need you to pass Bella to Edward, just for a few minutes. Aro wants to make sure we really have her."

I nodded and carefully eased her into Edward's arms, watching his desolate expression. "Be careful with her," I whispered. Edward shot me a look of pure loathing as he stood beside Charlotte.

Charlotte rolled her eyes and cast an apologetic look at me and then at Rosalie.

"Charlotte, maybe you could take Bella on your own, if you cannot manage three people…" I murmured as I cast my eyes over my unconscious fiancée – her hand hung limply over Edward's shoulder and the ring was glinting in the light. Edward was staring down at her with an almost tortured expression on his face.

"No, I can manage it. Tracing isn't that hard to be honest."

Charlotte was a tracer. This certainly explained why Aro had kept her alive and, by the looks of it, offered her a place in his clan. Tracers were excessively rare with the last know case being reported in Argentina in the late 20th century.

"I'll come back for you two in a second," she said, looking at Rosalie and me before Edward freed his left hand and gripped tightly around Charlotte's outstretched arm.

She closed her eyes and allowed her features to go completely blank. There was a sharp whooshing sound and in an instant they were gone. Rosalie was already beside me, her arm around my shoulder and she was gazing at me with a sympathetic smile. It seemed so peculiar for her to act in such a manner. The immortal life had taken quite a toll on Rosalie, and she had always possessed a deep resentment towards her changed nature. Back when I had found her lying on the cold, snow covered ground, on the brink of death – just a vulnerable young girl - I couldn't let her die. I felt a second chance was what she deserved, and I had given it to her. She had never show disdain towards me and had acknowledged understanding my decision for changing her, yet her remorse had never left her.

_It's just that… this is not the life I would have chosen for myself._

Her words haunted me and now I was left in utter confusion with her, this change was beyond anything I could have imagined.

"It will be okay, Carlisle," she whispered and rested her head upon my shoulder.

"Would you mind explaining to me how you are so positive about this?" I asked before I could stop myself. I wandered over to what was left of the closet door and opened it, hurrying inside to find a new shirt. I decided to pack some spare clothes as I knew Aro wouldn't be letting us go any time soon.

Rosalie looked up and me with a quizzical expression lining her flawless face.

"Positive? What do expect me to do, curl up in a ball and start crying?"

"Rose, I have just taken the life of a human girl, committed her to what you would call a damned eternity and you seem happy about it."

"I am not going to deny the fact that Isabella is a fatal menace. The sole reason behind the peril the Volturi have chosen to inflict on us. But to be quite frank, I am beyond sick of this mess, if turning her is the only way to end this then so be it."

"So you hold no regard for her then?" I asked cautiously, suddenly reminded of the Rosalie I knew.

"I do, but she's mad enough to want to join our realm, and you're beyond infatuated with her and willing to give her whatever she wants, so..."

There was a sharp crack and Charlotte appeared looking somewhat harassed.

"I'm sorry for taking so long, Edward had a slight confrontation to deal with when he met with Aro. The guy was practically dancing when I showed up, and then I had to get Bella settled into one of the chambers." She ran a hand through her hair as Rosalie stepped forward and asked in a low whisper.

"How is Emmett?"

"He's a mess, but once I get you back there everything should be alright, hopefully," Charlotte said walking over and standing between us. Rosalie let out an overemphasized sigh and gazed remorsefully in my direction.

"I had to sacrifice my marriage for this, Carlisle, so please don't think of me as the bad one here," Rosalie said sternly.

I shook my head and Charlotte placed one of her hands on my arm and the other upon Rosalie.

"I wouldn't dream of such a thing, in reality you did the right thing, Bella had to be changed and my delaying the fate wasn't achieving anything positive. I do, however, want you to realize that she is a part of this family now and we protect our family."

Rosalie shrugged in almost resentful agreement. "I have no aversion towards Bella becoming my _sister_. I just hope it doesn't lead to our family being torn apart."

Charlotte looked between us for a moment and asked in a slightly hollow voice.

"We need to get going, now. Are you ready?"

I nodded and a sudden tugging sensation came over me before I was immersed in what felt like a tornado. I was spinning around for a good few minutes before my feet met hard stone and I was thrown back into reality again. I didn't need to examine my whereabouts too closely' the familiar, circular, gray and white stone room was lit by candles and flaming torches. The Volturi's enclosure had not changed from the centuries since I had left them, though now many new members lingered amongst their guard. Upon the marble cast platform stood three ebony throne-like chairs occupied by the figures I knew to be Marcus, Caius and in the centre Aro who was smiling placidly down upon me.

"Carlisle," the high cold voice sounded as Charlotte released my arm almost instantly before disappearing again.

"Aro," I replied narrowing my eyes at the familiar pointed face of my former friend. His crimson eyes were alight with excitement and wonder as he strolled across the hall accompanied by Demetri and Alec, both of whom were smirking triumphantly.

"My old friend, I cannot tell you how good it is to see you after all this time." He beamed in the familiar false friendliness I remember. As usual he was dressed entirely in black except for the gold Volturi chain he wore around his neck that glinted in the light.

"I can't say the feeling is mutual," I said taking a step back with Rosalie keeping close by my side.

Aro let go of a heavy sigh and shook his head almost regretfully. "I know, such a pity." He turned to Charlotte, who had reappeared again, looking harassed. Aro beamed at her before taking both her hands in his and kissing them.

"You're a treasure, Charlotte," he said gently. "And Rosalie; I appreciate your cooperation in this."

Rosalie grimaced at him and folded her arms gazing intently at the closed door on the far right of the atrium. "Can I see my husband now?"

Aro nodded absentmindedly and beckoned Demetri over to come closer.

"Take Rosalie into Emmett's chamber and let the rest know that Carlisle and the others are here."

Demetri nodded and signaled for Rosalie to follow him across the room towards the half open double doors and into the main corridor.

Edward was nowhere to be seen and I couldn't help but feel unease at his absence, particularly when the last time I had seen him Bella had been in his arms. It was foolish, no doubt, to become possessive over what my mind considered mine when the possibility of Edward retrieving his claim was still within the grasp. But oh how I loved her and how foolish I had been if the end result was, as Alice predicted, Bella choosing Edward. Regardless I wouldn't stand in her way; I cared for her far too much to allow myself to do anything against such a union.

"You have some explaining to do, Carlisle," Aro said lightly as he took my hand in his and clenched it tightly. He closed his eyes, taking in every thought and memory I possessed. My insides contracted slightly at the knowledge that he would be seeing everything that had occurred between Bella and I.

"So you did try to fake your own death," Aro chuckled malevolently. "My my, Carlisle, this girl must be something special." He kept his eyes closed as he spoke, and continued to gaze over my thoughts and memories.

"It is rather unfortunate that yet again another one of your lover's fate resides in our hands," Aro said after a moment, opening his eyes and fixing an intent stare on me.

The doors flew open and the figure of a small girl entered, she wore an angelic expression on her childlike face, behind her followed the familiar figures of Alice, Jasper and Edward, each bore an expression of resentment.

"It would seem that we have a long wait upon our hands," Jane said in a high pitched voice as she stopping in front of Aro.

"This gives us plenty of time to get reacquainted with each other," Aro replied resuming his seated position on the black throne. "And to decide on certain matters."

Alice shot him a look and almost shuddered somewhat as she walked around towards me.

"I am so sorry," she murmured putting her arms around me in a welcoming embrace.

"You have no need to apologize, Alice; I am as much to blame," I said patting her on the back. She pulled away and shook her head frantically taking my arm and leading me over into a corner. Jasper stood close by keeping a watch on the others.

"Aro's planning something," she said in a low whisper. "And it's not good."

"Is anything Aro plans ever good?" I asked warily.

Alice covered her face with her hands for a moment and sighed, before looking up at me her eyes filled with fear. "There is a possibility that they could kill you."

"What?"

"I saw the execution happen. Aro is going to try and make an example. Edward's seen their line of thinking. Apparently our chosen way of life is becoming somewhat of liability and they believe the only way to make their power evident is by…" she broke off as Jasper put a comforting arm around her and allowed a calming sensation to come over us.

I turned my gaze to Aro, who was immersed deep in conversation with Caius, Marcus and Felix, all of whom held rather satisfied expression, except for Marcus, who was frowning and shaking his head.

If death was indeed my fate then I wouldn't argue with it. I had always suspected that this would end at the Volturi's hands one way or another. There was nothing I could do, my choice had been made. I chose to turn Bella, to allow the Volturi to take her in, and now as I was possibly in the final hours of my life.

"We have punishments, Carlisle, for misleading the Volturi, coveting another vampire's mate and hiding a wanted fugitive," Caius murmured and he nodded in Jane's direction. She happily skipped forward and stood directly in front of me, casing her torturous gift upon me for a long moment. I fell back against the marble floor, shuddering uncontrollably and trying very hard not to scream.

_The nightmare had begun._

Two days had passed since Bella had been bitten and left in a venom induced coma. Edward had rarely left her side during the moments when allowed to visit her down in the resting chambers, and I had made every effort possible to see her myself. Even when she was unconscious, I couldn't bare to be away from her for very long. Alice helped by changing her clothes and restyling her hair, more as an excuse to stay away from Aro and to have more time with Bella. Charlotte had been somewhat reproachful towards the whole situation, and in particular with Edward. Each and every time I saw them together, Charlotte would be whispering frantically whilst blinking tears of venom out of her eyes. Edward continued to shrug her off at every given opportunity, and I couldn't help but wonder what had occurred between them here. The Denali clan was now staying within the Volturi's lair in an effort to provide support and comfort. Eleazar had paid brief visits to Bella and examined her progress. He had spent a full hour alone with Aro in Bella's chamber apparently to try and sense the potential power that she held.

"I have never seen anything like this," he had said in a hollow whisper to me and Edward as he emerged from the corridor late one evening. "Something within her is evolving and could lead to the most significant power our realm has ever seen. Mark my words, Carlisle, Aro will not let her go once these powers are revealed. They could be a great asset in the war with the Valhallas."

I leaned back against the black stone wall and pinched the bridge of my nose with my forefinger and thumb. _I knew changing her would lead to more problems._ The idea of Bella having to permanently severe the Volturi was positively sickening, and she would be only a new born. How was she supposed to learn to control her thirst if she was thrown in the middle of a battle?

"How can you know all this when the process hasn't been completed yet?" Edward demanded furiously.

"Her progress is very advanced, and the strengths in her talents are already surfacing faster than anyone could have imagined," Eleazar said calmly, looking across at me.

"Aro is, I suppose, delighted by this?" I muttered icily.

"He is, but I must warn each of you to be on guard, for when she wakes up, Bella will not be the same. Her powers will influence her mind and no doubt leave a lasting impression on her personality. Be very careful with her," he said in warning to all of us..

"What about her emotions?" I asked cautiously, not looking at Edward.

"Hmm, that's difficult to determine at present. I could reexamine her again, but…" Eleazar was interrupted by Jasper who had just emerged out of Bella's chambers, followed by Rosalie who had her hand tightly in Emmett's. The two of them had been very close since their reunion two days ago.

"Reexamining her won't tell you how her emotional state will be when she recovers," Jasper said stopping in between Eleazar and myself. "You're just going to have to wait."

"What's so important about her emotional state anyway?" Emmett asked. "I doubt she'll change _that _much. Probably become a lot tougher and feistier." He grinned in my direction. "Think you can handle that, Carlisle?"

Edward shot Emmett a reproachful look and turned on his heels and walked off in the direction of Bella's chamber. The rest of us walked with Eleazar for a few minutes until we came to the exit door that lead out into the darkened alley way of a side street.

"Aro is not happy, Carlisle, Be on guard and please look after yourself and each other," Eleazar said shaking my hand before bidding me goodbye and leaving.

"I've gotta hand it to you, Carlisle," Emmett said bracingly. "I never though I'd see you do something like this before."

"I never planned on it, Emmett."

Jasper raised his eye brows and glanced over at Alice who was looking somewhat crestfallen. "I should never have told you where she was," she said sadly. "I could have stopped this from happening."

"It would have happened eventually," Jasper said coolly. "The feelings were always there, even before we went to MIT. Carlisle, you need to stay with her through this."

I nodded and wasted no time in returning to Bella, my thoughts were too occupied by her fate to even care about Edward's temper, though it grew worse whenever I was near him.

I tried as best as I could to divert my thoughts and avoid dwelling on my feelings for her, but it made little difference though. It was evident Aro was planning something, and if I was to die then I would devote as much time as I had with Bella.

"You should never have done this, Carlisle," Edward said as I entered her chambers on the third day of her coma. He was on his knees beside her unconscious figure, lying innocently on the bed, the glow of the candles illuminating her deathly pale face.

"I had no choice," I said, slowly coming forward and leaning beside the bed post gazing down at her. It was so easy to become lost in her beauty… the ebony black hair spread out over the pillow, contrasting with her white skin and blood red lips.

"I never thought you were capable of such betrayal-" he broke off, his face sullen and cold.

"My intention wasn't to hurt you Edward," I murmured, walking around the bed and gently caressing Bella's cheek. I wondered if she could hear us.

"You took advantage of her," he said.

"No I didn't."

"I saw you, both of you, in Alice's vision. I saw what you did to her, a mere human. I knew of your infatuation with her after we met at Emil's ball, but I never though you would –"

I sighed yet remained silent; words had no purpose at present. Though my actions may have been misguided, I would never regret them.

"Edward," I said after a moment, as he began walking towards the doorway.

"Don't, just don't. I thought I knew you Carlisle, but it turns out I was mistaken." The door opened and slammed shut causing the frame to shake.. I followed him out, and in spite of his speed, managed to catch up with him.

"I never meant to fall in love with her," I said as we reached the edge of the staircase that lead up to the main corridor.

"Yet you meant to sleep with her, to take her virtue, put a ring on her finger and claim her as your own."

I said nothing, merely staring at him, the lingering thought echoing in my mind over and over again, willing him to understand to see reason, the motivation.

_It wasn't a conscious decision to fall for her. It was as If I was responding to her, to what she needed._

The blow came out of nowhere, yet somehow I expected it all along. Edward had lunged and thrown me hard against the wall causing a shudder to ripple through my spine.

"Needed? Do you mean to tell me that she wanted you all along? Whatever you may have deluded her with Carlisle, she will never be yours. Alice knows it as well as I do. Bella is mine."

"Until _she_ has chosen, I will never give up on her," I said sternly. "My time is apparently limited, Edward, as I am sure you know full well. If she was to be with anyone, you would be the ideal choice."

"It is up to her to decide who she wants. I am not going to stand in her way and neither are you," Edward said furiously.

_I have no intention of doing anything of the sort. I would never stand in Bella's way. I love her too much for that. _

Edward wrenched himself off and took a step back, running a hand through his hair and glaring at the stone floor.

"I never wanted to fight with you, Carlisle, but the fact that you did this…" he trailed off.

"I was blinded, Edward. The consequences of my actions were the last thing on my mind. It was wrong and unforgivable of me to do such a thing. But I cannot bring myself to regret my actions. These past months, since I have known Bella, have been the happiest of my existence since Esme died." I leaned back against the wall allowing the ache in my back to fade ever so slightly.

"Gentlemen," Demetri's voice echoed suddenly across the deserted hallway as he approached.

"Aro would like to see both of you immediately," he said after pausing for a moment.

Edward shot a suspicious glance at him with narrowed eyes; he gave a short nod before turning and following Demetri down the corridor. I took a moment before following close behind them; there was some underlying agenda within the Volturi's plan, and all but Alice seemed totally clueless about it. I knew it involved me, for Alice had tried to take me aside to talk on several occasions but was always interrupted by a member of the guard or Edward, who would shoot her warning glancing and initiate her silence.

The main atrium was more crowded than usual; a few of the guards were surrounding each corners of the wall whilst Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie remained in their seats not far from Aro. The expressions on each of their faces resembled a mixture of fury and indignation. Charlotte came up beside Edward and was closely followed by Alice; this did nothing to alleviate my feeling of unease.

"Edward!" Tanya's voice called over beside the small cluster of guards besides the rest of the Denali clan, I was surprised to see all of them here including Eleazar.

"Good to see you again, Tanya," Edward said as she gave him a brief hug.

"How are you holding up? I can imagine all this waiting must be torture for you," she said sympathetically.

"I'm _fine, thank you,_" Edward said glancing over at Alice who was staring at Aro with grim determination.

Aro rose from his seat and stepped down from the platform outstretching his hands in welcome.

"Now that we are all here," he said as Caius marched up to stand beside him in an almost supportive front. "I think we can begin."

"Begin what exactly?" I asked as Edward let out a hiss of discontent and Alice made a sound that resembled a whimper.

"I think you know, Carlisle, no doubt Alice has already filled you in," Caius said coolly as looking from Alice to me with a smirk.

I nodded thoughtfully, if this was Aro's idea of an intimidation it wasn't working too well. The years I had spent with the Volturi had allowed me to learn of their protocol. Aro always liked to evoke a sense of justice and authority, usually whenever he felt like the clan's dominating position was at risk of losing high moral ground. Many other clans had heard of my family's current predicament and they were no doubt beginning to wonder if Emil and his followers had the right idea after all. Aro's behavior had been mimicking insanity, violating every rule and yet regarding themselves as the obedient ones.

"You somewhat betrayed us, Carlisle," Aro said, lightly pressing his long pale bone-like fingers together. "Keeping Isabella absent from us for so long, placing your entire clan at such a risk."

"And you know the reason why I did so," I said evenly, maintaining a firm gaze on him.

"You thought I would place her under examination, to see her true powers and if they came to nothing I would simply kill her?" Aro chuckled and shook his head.

"I have already confirmed Isabella's potential long ago, Carlisle. You would be surprised what a blood sample can tell you."

Edward seemed on the brink on coming forward but Emmett and Jasper held a tightly to his arms. I stared at Aro, my mind racing along to that fateful night. Bella had been right after all, and no doubt those attacks that had occurred were due to the Volturi.

"So much trouble you went through to keep her and it all in the end went to waste."

"You haven't won, Aro; Bella will never join your clan."

"We'll see," Aro said pleasantly and cast a look at Charlotte who rolled her eyes.

"It seems that your activities these past few months have caused your coven to become a fatal liability," Caius said sternly. "On many occasions you have violated our laws, in particular allowing Isabella to live so long as a human whilst being fully aware of our secrets."

"I am responsible for that," Edward said hurriedly. "It was my doing that brought her into our realm in the first place."

"And yet Carlisle allowed you to do so, as the head of the coven the responsibility falls upon him," Aro said smoothly.

"You even when as far as to allow her to consort with the Romanians," Caius murmured, shaking his head. "Our greatest enemy, that hardly shows much loyalty to the Volturi's cause, now does it?"

Jane smirked and cast a half bemused glance at Alice who had stepped forward to stand beside me. "Whatever issues you are having with the Romanians, we are not part of it. We take no sides in this conflict."

"You attended their recruitment ball," Aro said solemnly, staring at the ground disappointed.

"We all did," Carmen interjected. "It was a New Years Eve celebration, not a recruitment."

"And yet you remain obedient to our laws, no humans were exposed to such scenes," Caius said in an offhanded manner.

I closed my eyes for a moment. I had spent enough time with the Volturi in the past to know that this was merely a bid to buy time; my fate was inevitable at this point. I was to die, but Aro still had to try and generate a valid excuse for the execution.

"You then moved on to betray Edward here, who has placed so much effort into our cause."

"It was not my intention to betray him," I said, opening my eyes and looking sincerely at Edward.

"You seduced his mate, a human, and then made every effort to sabotage our plans. I believe you even consorted with Emil whilst you were in Paris."

"He attacked, Bella," I said determinately. "Attempted to change her against her will."

"Of course he did," Edward said furiously. "He knows full well about her abilities and you just let her be put at risk."

"Edward, I love Bella how could I ever put her at risk?"

"You took advantage of her, Carlisle," Edward began in a cold voice.

"Ahhhh...but he did not take advantage of her, did you, Carlisle?" Aro said, walking up to me once more and fixing his crimson eyes upon me.

"No, I could never do such a thing. To willingly harm Bella in such a manner would be unforgivable. She has purity and innocence within her that no creature could ever match up to."

"Is that what you told her before you claimed her then?" Edward said resentfully as Emmett and Jasper tightened their grip around Edward's arms.

"I didn't need to tell her anything, Edward. Bella was more than willing at the time," I said before I could stop myself.

"Emmett, let me go," Edward said in an effort to wrench himself free, the color of his eyes darkening from gold to deep black.

"Not until you calm down," Jasper said warningly.

"You left her, Edward. Abandoned her when she needed you to most." I continued.

"For her own safety," Edward muttered under his breath.

"Whilst Victoria was still seeking vengeance, her danger merely escalated after we left, and she had to seek protection from the wolves for heaven's sake."

Edward had the good grace at that point to wince and look away clenching his fists furiously as he did so.

"Enough!" Aro said with a somewhat bewildered expression on his face.

"Charlotte, I need you to go down to Bella's chambers and check on her," he said abruptly.

Charlotte nodded and shot Edward a hurt look, before hastily tracing herself out of the atrium. Edward made an attempt for the door but found it blocked by Jane, who was standing directly in front of it and wearing an expression of deep satisfaction on her face.

"Aro," I said cautiously. "If you do plan on killing me at least have the good grace to admit it now. I don't want to have Bella awaken and find such a situation as this in front of her."

Aro raised his eyebrows and looked over at Alice; he chuckled and shook his head evidently amused.

"Kill you? My dear Carlisle I have no intention of killing you…"

"You don't?" Felix asked somewhat surprised. "Then what was the meaning of our discussion then?"

"Oh, I was merely weighing out the necessary options," Aro said, waving a hand in the air. His tone was as casual as though he was discussing the weather.

Edward let out a noise that matched that of a snort, his eyes were upon Aro's and a deep resentment lined across his face.

"You call those options?" he said. "Either join you or die?"

Demetri looked at his master in mild amazement yet refrained from saying anything further. Jane shuffled her feet and turned her gaze to the ground, somewhat resentfully.

"I do actually," Aro said, pressing the tips of his fingers together. "Carlisle, I am offering you a choice, to join us along with your bride in defeating Emil and the Valhalla clan or…"

"Or die," Edward and Alice said in unison.

"Aro, would you honestly wipe out an entire clan merely to defeat the Valhallas?" Eleazar asked somewhat amazed.

"Rules must be obeyed, my friend, and seeing as Carlisle has broken many of our set laws he should be grateful that I am offering him a second chance."

Never in all my years did I feel as much hate for anyone as I did now for Aro, his manipulative mannerisms and dealing all these months had caused me to lose all regard and respect for the Volturi . Power obsessed and bound, we were lost by his thoughtless scheming; if I refused I could risk the chance of losing my entire clan, Bella and myself in the process. I couldn't let it happen, yet how could I possibility rejoin the Volturi again after all they had done?

I stared at the rest of my family, all stunned by Aro's words. They were all that I was living for and all that I would die for, the fate of which lay in my hands.

"Carlisle," Alice said seriously. "We're all with you, what ever you decide. I know you'll make the right choice."

_Oh dear lord._

My darkest fears had been taken, revealed and replayed for everyone to observe and now I was left to contemplate and account for them.

"If we agree to this and fight for your cause, can you give us your word that you'll allow us to leave when it is over?" I asked slowly.

"Of course." It was Marcus who spoke this time. He was on his feet and cautiously came down towards me.

"I never wanted this for you Carlisle, but as I am sure you are aware, Aro is excessively stubborn."

I nodded and looked around at the others. "You agree that we should join?"

"What choice do we have?" Rosalie said, flicking back her hair and casting a disdainful look at Caius.

"Very well, Aro, you have our full and undying support in your cause."

"Wonderful," Aro said clapping his hands together and grinning around at the others.

"A wise move," Caius said with a smirk that caused the blood within me to boil.

There was a sudden whooshing sound as Charlotte rematerialized into the Atrium; she looked rather astonished and somewhat panicked.

"Something wrong, my dear?" Aro asked causally looking at her.

"It's Bella," she began to say but once again Edward managed to cut across her.

"She's waking up," he said and made a hastily motion for the door. "Excuse me, Jane."

"One moment," Aro said raising his hand, as I made to follow Edward to the door way. "Only Edward can go, for the time being,"

I shot a quizzical gaze at the Volturi's main leader, who seemed totally unaware of how unusual this seemed.

"We don't want to overwhelm the poor girl," Caius reassured still smirking.

I moved towards the side wall as Edward exited out of the door way in a rush. I didn't have to be a mind reading to see what Aro's agenda was here, to see which of us Bella would desire. All I could do was sit and wait for my destiny to unfold.

~To be continued…

* * *

A/N

Thoughts?

I am a little nervous to be honest, about your reactions. Let me know, whether you found it good or bad, entertaining or dull.

Who do you think will Bella choose?

Are you with Team Carlisle Or Team Edward?

Why is Aro want the Cullens in his army so much?

Will Edward ever forgive Carlisle?

And what will the new Vampire Bella be like?


	23. Chapter 23: The Sweet Sacrifice

_A/N _

_I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving! I managed to find some time (during which I wasn't studying or revising) and bring you another update, the title of the Chapter should give you a vague idea of its content. _

_Thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews, I will admit I am pleased to see so many Carlisle supporters out there. Kudos to the loyal Edward ones too. _

_I will be honest and say this was a difficult chapter for me to write, especially since it was in Bella's point of view and the whole alternation in emotional state and moods around the narration of the charcter. It involved listening to alot of Flyleaf and Within Temptation. _

_mauralee88: In response to your question about the Carlisle/Bella scene in the New Moon movie. I have to admit I did find it a little suggestive than it should have been, but I loved it nevertheless. (Mr F is too handsome for his own good). Next to the Volturi, it was one of the best scenes in the Film._

**A few surprises are in store in this chapter. Let me know what you think, and please be honest.**

* * *

**Chapter 22**

**BPOV**

_I was immersed in this horrible, black, burning pit of torturous pain. I was in Hell. It must have gone wrong; my body hadn't been able to cope with the intensity of the venom and now I was dead. Heaven had probably thrown me out after what I had done in my human life. This was my punishment… and it was killing me. Every cell in my body felt like it was being drowned in boiling water. I couldn't even hear my heartbeat anymore._

_A bright white light shone before my eyes and scenes of my life were being replayed on what looked like an old movie projection screen._

_It was thought that during the process of dying, a person's life would flash before their eyes enabling them to witness and observe all they had seen and done. I had been skeptical about this, until now, as I lie here surrounded by darkness and the excruciating fire burning me from the inside out. All doubt upon the matter has vanished._

_I saw myself during my first day at Forks High School, meeting Edward Cullen for the first time, and then the incident with Tyler's van. The light flashed again and I found myself sitting on a hospital bed, staring intently into the face of Doctor Cullen as he examined me. The fire grew more intense as an overwhelming feeling of longing came over me as I watched him._

_"Your vitals look good, and there are no signs of any head trauma. I think you'll be just fine." His voice echoed out from the screen before the scene faded away._

_And then I heard Edward's voice emitting from the screen._ "_It would be more… prudent for you not to be my friend. But I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Bella."_

_I was in the Meadow and staring at Edward, he was drenched in sunlight and the bone white of his skin was glowing with bright sparkles, like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in his skin_.

"_How can your skin just sparkle like that?" I heard myself say, looking at his glittering chest. _

"_The sun causes our pores to open up and they become filled with venom, that's what creates this effect.. The venom reflects the light back, causing this whole sparkling image," he said, moving back into the shadows and retrieving his shirt._

_The scenes continuously changed from the baseball match, to the fight with James. The images became more distinct as they moved through my lifetime. I came upon the scene of my eighteenth birthday party, the paper cut and Jasper lunging for me. It then shifted to Carlisle's brief conversation with me in his office as he stitched up my arm._

"_Do you have any plans for college?" he asked, wiping the traces of blood from my elbow. _

"_I haven't really thought about it to be honest," I answered truthfully._

"_You would do well in university. Having a degree will give you the chance to be independent in life," he said dropping the tiny fragments of glass into a bowl._

"_I'm not sure what I'm even interested in," I murmured as his cold fingers lightly caressed my skin and he secured the bandage around my wound. _

"_You enjoy English Literature, a combined degree in that might suit you," Carlisle said glancing at me, his gold eyes twinkling. "Just think of how many books you'll have to read." He smiled slyly at me. _

_I grinned. "It is tempting, but what would I combine it with? I mean, apart from English literature, I don't really have another favorite subject."_

"_Have you considered psychology?" Carlisle suggested, throwing the last of the blood stained tissues into a bowl._

"_I don't know much about psychology. But I might try it out, get a textbook from the library or something." _

"_I think you would be very good at it," he said slowly. _

"_I am kind of curious about how the mind works and everything," I agreed thinking how useful it would be to psychoanalyze myself._

_Carlisle nodded and moved over to the far corner of the book shelf, I watched him quietly for a short moment until Edward entered the study and began insisting on taking me home. _

_"Have a look at this when you have time," Carlisle said handing me a large leather bound book. _

_I stared at it quizzically as I put on my jacket. "What is it?"_

"_A collection of theories by five different psychologists of the age, it will give you a brief insight into the subject."_

_Edward let out a heavy sigh and looked at his father in a somewhat appreciative manner. _

"_We need to get going Bella." _

_I nodded, taking the book from and giving Carlisle a brief, one armed hug. "Thanks, I'll give it back as soon as I'm done," I said, pulling away and returning to Edward._

_The scene faded away and another one began playing. It was painful to relive this moment, when Edward had left me in the forest and the following months of immense depression. Then it flashed and I was visiting with Jacob Black and the La Push gang. I saw myself riding a motorcycle for the first time, and falling off. The images came quickly then, midnight bonfire parties, graduating from High School, visiting my mom and Phil in Florida, and getting accepted into MIT… All that had happened in my human life before and after I had left Forks. The images faded away once more and_ _I was surrounded in darkness again. The fire was fading and the faint signs of consciousness were coming over me again. It was an oddly invigorating feeling, even though my heart was motionless and my lungs no longer required air. The painful fire had gone, and all that was left now was a burning sensation in my throat. I could hear voices and the sound of footsteps. The opening and closing of door and the scent of damp stone. I shifted slightly in my position on the soft surface and slowly started to open my eyes._

I felt my eyes flicker open, the light grew brighter around me and everything was in a sharper, distinct focus... The high stone ceiling was the first sign that I was no longer at Carlisle's Villa. Everything was different, the bed that seemed to be made of silk and satin, the smells and flavors of the environment around me were different, more crisp and powerful. I picked up on vanilla and chocolate, apple blossom and strawberry, oak and pine, and there was a hint of lemon. The scents around me burned my throat and cast my senses into a frantic effort to distinguish each one. In spite all the changes, I was surprisingly not as overwhelmed as I thought I would be. It was quite natural and my body seemed to have adapted to this change. There was however, a lingering empty feeling within me as though something was missing. As I remained on the bed taking in the scents around me, I became aware that I wasn't alone in this strange, candle lit room. There was a figure in the corner watching me; his eyes were on me and without even looking I knew who it was; the scent so familiar, yet the intensity had increased a great deal.

Thoughts assaulted me in an avalanche on my mind as I lay flat on my back and looked up at the stone ceiling. The burning in my throat was somehow spreading to every section of my body.

I shifted and sat up so fast that I felt dizzy. I shook my head and blinked a few times, trying to get used to my new found speed. I gazed around the rectangular room with it's dark, stone walls. It was elegantly decorated in 19th century antiques and lit by many dripping candles.

_This was definitely going to take some getting use to._

I looked down at my clothes. _What on earth was I wearing? _ A deep purple, ornate, Guipure braid corset with a matching Edwardian style skirt that went down to my toes. _There was only one person who could have dressed me up like this, Alice. _

"Welcome back, Bella," Edward said in a velvet voice that was clearer and more distinct in volume.

"How long was I out for?" I asked, getting to my feet and walking over to the guilt floor length mirror and examining myself.

"About four days. I suppose the more mature the venom, the more effective it is," he said slowly, watching me in the mirror.

I frowned and shut my eyes for a moment and then opened them again. I looked so different that I wondered if it was really me. My skin was snow white and shimmering slightly in the light. My face radiated an almost unearthly beauty, and my eyes were a deep crimson. I stared intently at my own reflection in the mirror at a reflection I did not recognize. I was almost relieved that none of the movements or natural motions that I executed caught me off guard. Even the burning in my throat seemed oddly superficial now; it was as if it had always been there. I was pleased to see that my hair was still a vivid, ebony black; it flowed just past my shoulders in wavy ringlets. A nice contrast against the marble white skin was the glinting rubies that were my lips. I had been somewhat worried that the venom would have stripped all the dye out of my hair.

I felt the tip of two pointed fangs touch my bottom lip and I gasped. _I have fangs now; _I thought as I examined my teeth in the mirror.

Edward walked over to stand beside me, there was a small smile curling his lips.

"Is something amusing?" I asked coolly, turning to face him and folding my arms.

He grinned and shook his head, the satisfied expression upon his face was becoming almost annoying and, in an effort to keep my temper neutral, I moved away from him to examine the room more closely. There were so many different details to focus on that it was almost distracting; the fabrics of my clothes and in the different linens of the room were like miniature worlds in and of themselves..

"I was just thinking," Edward began, breaking my line of thought and approaching me again. "How odd it is that I still can't read your mind?"

_He couldn't read my mind even after I had been changed_?

It was my turn to grin now and I quietly rejoiced at this fact. "Well I'm glad everything hasn't changed," I said in an oddly high, musical voice.

"Do you know where you are?" Edward asked, his voice echoing around the empty room.

I turned and looked at him frowning slightly, judging by his presence and the many inhuman scents, plus the décor of the room I had a pretty good idea where I was, though how I had got here I couldn't say.

"A dungeon?" I guessed, running a hand through my hair and feeling slightly resentful at the reality of my surroundings.

Edward chuckled and shook his head. "You're in the Volturi's castle," he said and continued to stare at me almost quizzically.

"Why am I here?" I asked slowly.

"Charlotte and I brought you here not long after you were bitten," he said running a hand through his bronze colored hair.

"How did you know I had been bitten?" I asked, walking around and examining the room curiously. There was a fragrance within the air itself that was causing the burn to increase ever so slightly. It became more prominent as I came up beside the doorway.

"Alice had a vision and Aro sent us to fetch you."

"How convenient," I said looking directly at Edward and feeling a surge of frustration come over me all of a sudden. There was something missing, something wasn't right and it was causing my throat to ache with fire.

"Bella." He rose and came up to stand in front of me, his eyes a liquid gold. He took my hand in his, no longer cold and looked into my face intently. The tips of his fingers connected with something hard on my finger and he looked down, an almost pain expression coming across his face. I followed his gaze and caught sight of the glinting white gold and diamond ring. _What the…? _The fire gained intensity within my chest and I found myself briefly lost in the vague memory of the night when this ring had been placed on my finger. But who had put it there, and more importantly who was I engaged to?

"I am so sorry for everything," Edward said slowly. "It really shouldn't have come to this."

I found it hard to believe that he was still hung up over what had happened; it seemed irrelevant to even think about it now. The whole thing had become somewhat of a blur in my memory; I smiled and entwined my fingers in his, a natural, comforting gesture.

"I wanted this, Edward. The way we were carrying on wasn't helping the situation. And besides, I can finally be on a level footing with you," I said carefully. Whatever resentment I had for him was gone, it was as if a heavy load that been lifted off me.

He gave me a crooked smile and kept his hand in mine. "Bella the vampire. I have to say you look phenomenal."

"Even with the black hair?" I asked, knowing his fondness for my natural brown color.

"Bella, if your hair was bright green you would still look beautiful."

I rolled my eyes and grinned in spite of myself. My fangs touched my lip again and I automatically raised my hand up to touch them.

"Those will take some getting use to," Edward murmured with a grin.

I nodded and allowed him to pull me into an embrace, keeping one hand in mine as his other wrapped around my waist. Everything was so effortless and normal, even given the bizarre circumstances.

"I need you to understand something, Bella," Edward began and I looked up at him curiously.

"That whatever happened between you and…Carlisle," he swallowed. "It doesn't matter."

_Carlisle__… _I looked down at the ring again and did a double take. He had proposed to me, moments before changing me.

I remained silent and narrowed my eyes slightly; an odd sensation flowed down my spine at the mention of his name.

"I love you and I always will, regardless of what you did in the past," he continued.

"Edward -" I began to say.

"Please let me finish," he said, raising his hand to caress my cheek.

I waited, fighting the urge to clasp my throat in my hands and swallow back the venom building up in my mouth.

"If I could take it all back, my abandoning you in such an unforgivable manner, I would. Words cannot describe how much I loathe myself for putting you through such pain." He stared at me intently, willing me to believe in his words, to understand and reassure me. "But whatever happens now, whatever you decide, I want you to know that all I ever wanted was your happiness."

I nodded and gave him a small smile; the memories of the pain he had put me through were long gone. I was almost ashamed and somewhat infuriated with myself for ever feeling in such upset over him. How pointless it had been, I was losing my own game at this point.

"I forgave you long ago, Edward. I know why you did it, difficult though it was to understand at the time. But, perhaps we could start again," I said carefully. "On more friendly terms."

"I would like that." He smiled and raised his fingers to my lips.

Footsteps sounded outside the chamber and, moments later, the door opened and the pixie-like figure of Alice bounded in looking rather distracted. The scent gained in intensity as the door was opened and it had literally begun burning painfully inside me. I moved back and stared out into the corridor, the source of it was out there, and a rather large part of me wanted nothing more than to find it, confront it and deal with it there and then.

"Bella!" Alice said as I pulled my hand away from Edward's and continued to look out into the corridor. The urge to sprint off towards the scent was increasing in an almost alarming fashion; I was close to reaching my breaking point.

"I'm glad to see you two are on speaking terms again," Alice said coming over and giving me a hug. "You look amazing by the way; I knew that dress would suit you."

"Jeans would have been better, Alice," I muttered pulling away.

"Special occasions call for special outfits. And you hardly ever wore dresses or skirts as a human," she said with a grin as she pulled away, and look a step back to look at me again.

"I'm surprised Aro allowed you to come down, considering the recent developments," Edward murmured, giving Alice a pointed look that possessed far too much meaning.

"What developments?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"Nothing you need to worry about, Bella," Edward said lightly, keeping his eyes on Alice.

_Still keeping secrets from me even now. _

I closed my eyes in an effort to rid the burning that was becoming even more irritating by the second. I wanted to close the door, but my mind was clouded beyond imagination.

"Don't patronize her, Edward," Alice said urgently as he brother made an exasperated noise.

"Bella, there's something you should know," she began to say before Edward interrupted her.

"Alice don't, she's only a newborn."

"Is it about Carlisle?" I asked hurriedly, feeling my throat burn with increasing insistence. Edward narrowed his eyes at me, almost questioningly and then glanced back at Alice.

"No, no. It's about Aro. He has made us an offer to join him," Alice said quickly, giving Edward a "don't start again" look.

"If you can call it an offer," her brother muttered bitterly.

"Edward, please."

"You accuse me of fabricating the truth, you hypocrite," Edward said coming up to me and taking my hand in his again.

Alice glared at her brother with such resentment that I took a step back and frowned between the two of them.

"Fine, Bella, since you have been changed, Aro has lost the excuse of keeping us here," Alice said in a rush, blocking Edward from saying anything further. I nodded; this news wasn't much of a surprise. I knew that once I had been changed and taken to the Volturi, the Cullens could no longer be held prisoner. If only we had done this sooner though, it would have made things so much easier.

"So he, along with your _friend..."_

"Charlotte? What does she have to do with this?" I asked, suddenly reminded of my best friend being within the Volturi's ranks.

"She's becoming Aro's new… protégé, if you will, and is aiding him. Well she's assisting all of them in the case."

I opened my mouth to speak but the overwhelming scent became even more prominent as I did so and I hastily closed it again. I backed up until I was up against the wall.

"Because of our lifestyle, and by lifestyle I mean the fact that we can live almost as normally as a human with the exception of our diet, Aro feels that our clan has become a fatal liability," Edward said with a roll of his eyes.

"The fact that Charlotte figured out what we were during our time at MIT, and your history as a human who knew far too much, contributed to their decision. The whole idea of living so openly with humans is making them worry." The low southern accent came, smoothly through the open door way. A tall, curly blond haired figure came in. Jasper's face was oddly bemused and was looking at me with immense curiosity.

Alice gave him a grateful smile and I became suddenly suspicious that he had been sent to monitor my emotional state.

"Jasper," I said pleasantly. "Come to check up on me?"

"Only making sure that you haven't started smashing the place up yet," he said with a grin. "And now that I don't have the urge to kill you, you can give your new brother a hug."

I laughed a laugh that resembled bell chimes and shook my head as Jasper wrapped his arms around me and gave me an affectionate hug. "Glad to see you're taking to this newborn phase in such a calm manner," he said and he patted my back, glancing in the direction of Edward. His face was preoccupied in thought. My mind raced over what Alice had told me, specifically Aro demanding that the Cullens join the Volturi. I knew Carlisle well enough for him not to agree to such a thing; he disliked the idea of violence and being roped into a meaningless war. The others would hardly agree to it either.

"You seem a little tense, Edward, anything wrong?" Jasper asked, pulling away.

"No, although I am a curious into how this newborn is being so unnaturally normal," Edward said almost proudly, casting an affectionate gaze over me.

"She was born to be a vampire, that's why. I mean look at her, totally in control," Alice said beaming. Her tone was strangely upbeat and was beginning to make me somewhat suspicious.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Jasper said, leaning against the door and opening it fully. This caused the full effect of the strangely familiar scent to hit me with the force of a freight train. Instinctively I took a step back and closed my eyes; the urge to lose control was becoming excessive.

"Stop it, Jasper," Edward said warningly.

"I'm not doing anything," Jasper said, looking at Alice with a satisfied expression. "It's the scent."

My eyes flicked open and a haze came over me. I turned and looked towards the mirror. I stared into the glass and watched my eyes, no longer crimson but jet black. It took a mere second and the glass shattered before my eyes falling to the floor. I gasped and took a step back as Edward grabbed my arm.

"What did you do?" Edward said, looking at me in wonderment and suspicion.

I couldn't take it; I had to go to find whatever was doing this to me, causing this feral feeling of need to build up inside me.

"Bella, love?"

"Don't… call me that," I whispered. "We've been deceiving ourselves, all this time," I said slowly and looking down at the engagement ring on my finger.

"Bella," Edward said, gently keeping a tight hold on my arm

The fire was consuming me; it thickened the air and engulfed my mind like a lethal drug.

_There's no escaping it._

"I have to go," I wrenched myself off him, lifting up the hem of my skirt and sprinted out the door. My bare feet patted softly on the stone floor as I ran. The corridor was completely empty as I ran up the stairs to the next level, that was dimly lit by flaming torches that hung from the dark stone wall. The floor on the second level was wooden and my hurried footsteps echoed noisily across the hall.

"Wait, Bella!" Edward was by my side in seconds and pulled my arm, before I reached the next staircase that lead upwards to the source.

"Edward, let me go!" I said in an attempt to free myself from him. The burning in my throat was becoming beyond unbearable, and yet it wasn't due to a thirst for blood like I previously thought. As the source of the scent grew closer, I found myself wanting it on a different level rather than mere bloodlust.

_The elixir of his life that flows inside me, it burns inside of me. _

"Bella, you're not ready to face them yet." His grasp tightened and it seemed I might actually have to hurt him to free myself.

"Edward," Jasper said calmly stepping forward and between us. "Let her go."

"I can't, Jasper, she isn't ready for them," he said.

"Just let her go." There was an edge to Jasper's words as he spoke, yet it didn't seem to have any affect on Edward's resolve as he began pulling me back down the corridor.

"Edward," I said in a higher voice than usual. "I need to go."

"Alice, go and get Eleazar for me," Edward called pulling me away and clasping my arm so tightly that if I had still been human, he would have shattered my bones. The fire was engulfing my mind, control was slipping from my grasp and I felt a sudden rush within me, stronger than mere adrenaline. All of a sudden flames burst from the floor and blazed wildly from where we were standing.

"How the…" Edward started to say, but Jasper had seized his arm and pulled him off me. But Edward shook him off and kept a firm grasp on my arm, and told me that it wasn't safe yet.

"Let me go!" I raised my one free hand and threw Edward aside against the wall with a crash, narrowly missing Alice by inches. She looked at me wide eyed and comprehension dawned upon her face.

"I'm sorry," I said, turning and running to the stairs, leaving the fire I had just ignited from the floor to burn. Edward called my name again, why was he being so reluctant to allow me to go up, to find the thing that was giving me such agony? Jasper wasn't attempting to hold me back.

_It just won't fade away._

I reached the top and sprinted down the corridor lit by flaming torches; my skirt whipped at my ankles as I ran at full speed. The air saturated with the scent and my throat burned furiously, it felt like every fiber of my being was on fire. A tall, wooden double door stood shut at the very end of the corridor; it was there beyond that barrier. I accelerated towards the doors until the walls were mere blurs. I saw nothing except that door growing closer and closer.

I stopped dead in my tracks as an invigorated rush came over me. I looked around and inhaled deeply, sending a wave of the scent down my throat and causing the fire to burn more fiercely than before.

The double doors flew open and my eyes snapped up. I looked up as the full intensity of the scent hit me in a tidal wave of intoxication. My eyes automatically locked on the blond haired figure as he emerged the doors closing behind him. The sight of his masculine body ignited the vampire instinct within me, and I had the strangest desire to pounce. The dark gold of his eyes fixed upon mine, and his face, _Carlisle__'s face_, was looking at me with devotion mingled with regret. I couldn't think at this point, the realization of seeing him again; the engagement ring seemed to weigh heavy on my finger as the memories came flooding back. It was as though a magnetic force was pulling between us. I found myself mere inches from him, my eyes drinking him in and the fire in my being reaching a new level of ferocity. _Mine,_ it echoed in my head over and over again. He had to know, to understand that I still wanted him in every way possible, probably even more than before.

Carlisle didn't move as I came to a halt in front of him. I reached out to touch his face, running my fingers along his cheek that was no longer cold to me. His eyes were filled with disbelief and wonderment as they focused intensely on my own.

We gazed at each other in complete silence for what seemed like hours. I had found my source. He was my reason, my strength, my purpose, _my everything… _

"Isabella…" he said softly.

I closed my eyes for a brief moment, feeling the venom build up in the corners, causing them to sting as I opened them again. We stood inches apart from each other and the mere idea of holding back was beyond my abilities now. I wanted to press myself against him, take in his scent and lose myself in his arms.

I cupped his face in my hands and captured his lips with my own. He responded with such intensity that my whole being seemed to scream with relief. This was it; this was my source, my own, personal intoxication. His arms locked around me as he swung me around and pushed me up against the wall. Fragments of dust and rock crumbled to the floor.

"Bella, tell me I'm not dreaming," he moaned against my lips and pressed himself against me. He moved his hands into my hair and pulled it ever so slightly. The way he said my name did nothing to ease my resolve; there was no holding back, no boundaries, nothing. Instinctively my fingers clawed down his back digging into his well-fitted shirt.

"No, you're not dreaming," I said slowly. "I'm here and I love you." A strong impulse of excitation rippled through me as I said the words aloud.

He stared at me for a split second then said, "Come with me," before taking a hold of my wrist. He led me down the corridor and over to a side door embedded in the wall. He kicked it open and led me inside, before slamming it shut behind him. He pushed me up against the wall and seized my mouth with his own – demanding and possessive – as I felt his erection press against my stomach. The sensation caused a wave of heat to erupt within me like a lit match to gasoline. I had been waiting for this for _days,_ everything about him was sending me towards my breaking point, his touch…his scent…his taste.

_It should've been like this with Edward…_

We could barely keep our hands off each other. One moment he was kissing me, the next he was suckling the skin along my neck as his hands tugged roughly at my skirt.

"This is an expensive skirt," I murmured as his hand caressed my inner thigh and traveled upwards.

"I'll buy you a new one," he whispered, bringing his lips back to mine.

I whimpered as he sucked on my bottom lip and pressed me up against the wall, sending fragments of stone falling to the floor. He was still far too overdressed; his clothes had to go, _now_. I clasped my fingers on his shirt and made to rip it apart when…

"Forgive me for interrupting," an icy voice sounded from the open doorway. Carlisle broke away from my mouth and withdrew his hand from the inside of my skirt. I leaned my head back against the wall and stared into the face of the Volturi leader. I recognized him immediately and felt an odd sensation of anger rise within me. I clenched my fists as Carlisle wrapped an arm around my waist.

Aro tilted his head to the side and gazed at me with great interest.

Bella," Carlisle said carefully. "This is Aro. Aro, this is…"

"_Isabella," _Aro said silkily, emphasizing my name with his Italian accent. He leaned in closer to stare, almost hungrily, into my eyes. I found myself briefly lost in his blood colored eyes out of pure curiosity.

"I have waited so very long to meet you my dear," he said, reaching out his hand confidently. "If I may…" And before I could do anything else he had grabbed hold of my hand in his and squeezed it gently before pulling me closer to him.

There was a loud crash and the thundering sound of footsteps down the corridor. And I heard Alice cry shrilly, "No Edward, don't!" She bounded towards the doorway, after her brother.

"Bella I…" Edward began as he skidded to a halt inside the room, his eyes fixed on me. I noticed when he glanced at Carlisle specifically where his arm wrapped around my waist. I hastily looked down at the ground and shuffled my feet slightly, while Aro examined my mind.

"You don't need to pretend, Bella," Edward said slowly. "I already know."

"It's not what you think," I said hurriedly. I felt Carlisle's gaze on me.

"Bella and Carlisle are mere friends now," Alice said confidently, looking between us.

Neither of us were able to answer as several Volturi guards had congregated outside the room and were watching as Aro released my hand, grinning in delight.

"Absolutely astonishing," he murmured in a quiet voice as he opened his eyes and starred at me in amazement. He seemed completely unaware of Edward's presence at that moment. "I see nothing," his voice shook with excitement.

"You are as I expected, immune to my powers, Isabella."

I kept my face neutral though a strong surge of relief coursed through me knowing that Aro did not have access to my thoughts. The mere idea of this vampire possessing any knowledge of my secrets revolted me beyond measure. I cast a glance at Carlisle, his face stern and but when I looked into his golden eyes I was enveloped by calm. And, still clasping my hand, Aro moved slowly into the main atrium. I looked around at the familiar and unfamiliar faces. The Denali clan were watching me with immense curiosity Charlotte looked at me in amazement and the rest of the Volturi guards were merely awestruck.

"Jane, my dear, come here will you," Aro said without taking his eyes off me. A tall, blonde girl with narrow eyes and a thin mouth stalked forward her expression was quite angelic.

"No, Aro," Carlisle said firmly pulling me behind him.

"Come now, Carlisle, it is essential that we see if she is immune to everything," Aro said with a smile.

"No, Aro." Carlisle's voice resembled a growl at this point and couldn't help but gaze wide eyed between them. Aro smiled sweetly and raised a hand towards two of his guards.

"Wait, no!" I cried out, but it was too late. There was a hard slam as two Volturi guards seized Carlisle's arms and dragged him away, before sending him crashing to the floor.

"Leave him alone…" I started to say as I advanced forward to Carlisle.

The small girl with the angelic face said with a smile as she came towards me, blocking my path to Carlisle. Aro, glancing at her briefly, gave a small nod.

Her eyes gleamed and fixed intently upon me, and I felt. _Nothing_. Whatever power I possessed it prevented her from harming me. The Volturi guards had dared to hurt him and Aro had allowed it, agreed to it, simply to get at me. The anger exploded within me, I suddenly was aware that I could feel and invisible barrier around myself. I quickly realized I could control it and on impulse I contracted it before I emitted it outwards, I closed my eyes and focused hard on the pushing it further away to surround them. There was a sudden snapping noise and a shrill scream erupted, echoing in the room. I opened my eyes and stared down at the figure of Jane. She had been launched across the room and had smashed into the wall. She slid to the floor writhing and twitching in agony, somehow I had managed to exert Jane's own power upon herself.

"Make. It. Stop!" she screamed again. Every single Volturi guard was coming slowly towards me, preparing to attack. I glared down at Jane with clenched fists as she continued to scream in pain. Aro's eyes were wide in shock, amazement and fear.

"Please!" Jane screamed helplessly as Alec attempted to exert his power over her.

"Bella," Carlisle said standing beside me and seizing my arm. "That's enough, my love."

I lifted my focus from the shield and the bubble shattered around me just as Jane's screams stopped. She lay motionless on the floor, gasping with shock.

"This is wonderful!" Aro half cried with joy clapping his hands with delight. "Such abilities I have never seen."

I starred down at Jane half in shock, my body swayed slightly and I knew I would have fallen to the ground if Carlisle had not been there to hold on to me. My body was shaking, whether it was of fear or shock I knew not, all I knew was that my apparent gifts were no blessing whatsoever. Carlisle seemed to feel my tensions and lips pressed against the side of my neck sending a shudder along my spine, calming me ever so slightly.

"You have a very talented bride, Carlisle," Aro said moving back towards his seat between the figures of Caius and Marcus. "What a wonderful addition she will make to our coven."

"I'm not joining you," I said firmly, gripping on to Carlisle's arm.

Aro smirked and shook his head casting his eyes on Jane who had struggled to her feet. She gave me a look of pure loathing, before returning towards her twin brother.

"But of course you are my dear, Carlisle has already agreed."

I turned to stare at him wide eyed in shock. How could he do such a thing? Condemn his entire clan to this? This wasn't part of the plan. I became a vampire to free the Cullens, not keep them in the Volturi!

"You didn't leave us with a choice, Aro," Rosalie said over in the corner with her husband's arms wrapped firmly around her waist.

"We gave you two options," the one I knew to be Caius said.

"Yes, join you or die, great alternatives," Jasper murmured as he stepped forwards with Alice.

Aro turned to stare at me again; his eyes trailing me up and down a faint smile curling his lips. "My dear, you do not want to see your loved ones die do you?"

"They will die if you place them in this war," I said firmly. "If it's me that you want then you can have me. But only if you free the others."

I knew the rest of the Cullens were staring at me, but I ignored them, my eyes focused on Aro's determinately. He cast a glance at his dark haired neighbor Marcus; since we had entered the atrium, he had been watching us closely through narrowed eyes.

"You would risk your own existence for them?" Aro asked slowly.

I tightened my hand around Carlisle and nodded calmly, this was not an act of nobility or foolish heroism. I had been prepared for this from the moment I had decided to be changed. And if it meant saving my second family, then there was nothing I would not do.

"Bella," Carlisle whispered against my ear. "Don't."

"I won't let you die," I said fervently, leaning closer to him, before casting a glance at Edward and the others. "I won't let any of you die."

"How very curious," Aro said, pressing the tips of his fingers together. "To sacrifice yourself for us, even when we are damned to eternity. You are very noble, Isabella, but I am afraid Carlisle has already agreed to serve us."

"You say that as if you gave him a choice!" Rosalie said, breaking her long silence.

"But we did give him a choice; we gave all of you a choice," Caius said sourly, his eyes were continuously fixed, watching me with curiosity.

"Aro," Eleazar began to say slowly. "I have to warn you of the risk you are taking allowing Bella-" He glanced at me with a uneasy smile. "To be involved in this. Her powers have only just been released and if she loses control -"

"Oh we can handle that," Aro said grinning like a child entering a sweet shop. "We have enough talent here to train and manage her."

"They will be useless up against her, Aro," Eleazar said firmly. "You saw what she did to Jane and that was done unconsciously. I am telling you not to do this. The risk for her is too great."

Aro smiled sympathetically at the Denali clan and shook his head. It seemed nothing would get him to change his mind. Our fate was set; we would fight in this war.

"If the Cullens are involved then we should be too," Kate said firmly, looking around at the rest of the Volturi.

"I quite agree," Carmen said and nodded. "And I have never liked Emil much in any case," She added with a small grimace.

"Excellent!" Aro said smugly. "We are forever indebted to you my dear."

"This isn't for your benefit, Aro," Eleazar said sharply.

Edward rolled his eyes and cast a glance at Marcus who was still staring at us intently. For a brief moment I could have sworn I had seen a smile curl Edward's lips. He moved his eyes to look at me and gave a small nod; I narrowed my eyes with an odd suspicion coming over me.

Carlisle wrapped his arms around my waist tightly and pressed his lips to my cheek in a comforting gesture. "Relax, Bella," he whispered. It was easier said than done. Edward's eyes were glued to my profile and I felt oddly self conscious.

There was a slight shuffling noise coming from beyond the double doors and I instinctive glanced towards Alice. Her face was a blank, wide eyed and staring.

"What have you seen, my dear?" Aro said eagerly, causing Alice to flinch slightly as the vision broke.

"Heidi's coming back," she said with a sickened expression. The reaction at her words was instantaneous; Carlisle stiffened and began pulling me away towards the door while Edward finally managed to persuade Felix to unhand him.

"We have to get you out of here," Jasper said pushing past Alec towards the double doors.

Aro chuckled lightly in response. "Calm yourselves please. Isabella is more than welcome to stay and try out some nourishment."

Comprehension dawned upon me as Carlisle threw Aro a disgusted look and kept on moving to the doorway. The humans were coming, their scent was growing ever closer and it triggered a hideously painful burn in my throat. I felt my incisors sharpen and elongate slightly. The sound of a dozen footsteps hit my ears followed by many voices.

~To Be Continued.


	24. Chapter 24: Bloodlust and Revelations

**Chapter 24 : ****Bloodlust & Revelations (PREVIEW) Various extracts from the upcoming chapter**

**BPOV**

Carlisle pulled my hand and hurried me to the door pushing past Edward who was eyeing me closely. A low sound left my chest as Heidi reentered followed by large groups of tourists. Alice, Rosalie and Emmett had hurriedly sprinted to the second doorway across the atrium, and were, along with the Denali's beckoning us to follow.

I gasp as the vampire instincts clouded over me again, commanding me to pounce and attack. Carlisle's eyes met mine, the warmth and compassion reflected with them, the memory of his struggles and his trials. My throat was painfully on fire now, I couldn't hold it. My hand broke from Carlisle grasp and I sprinted around, pushing past all of the humans and fleeing out of the room. I ignored the calls of the others and ran down the corridor, the burning was becoming unbearable and every fiber of me willed me to go back. I could hear Aro greeting each of the tourists in such a friendly manner that anyone could have sworn he genuinely meant good will to them. My thoughts fell over my parents; these tourists could easily have included them.

_Keep running, keep running. _

I turned a corner and reached a flight of stone steps, I ran down them taking each step two at a time, my chamber was no far. I could hide there until it was over, until the burning and aching hunger stopped.

"Bella!" The many voices called from a distance as I ran through the labyrinthine passageways and towards my chamber door. I threw myself against it bursting the door, the scent was still lingering with my throat and there was a strong intension within me to go back. But I wouldn't. I slammed the door shut and hurriedly locked it before moving towards the corner of the room and collapsing onto the floor. I remained there for several minutes staring at the ground, thinking of anything in an effort to distract myself from the pain. I closed my eyes and focused, determined not to yield.

*

"I think you can work that out for yourself," He murmured as his mouth captured mine. I was lost for words at this point and I settled for wrapping my arms around his neck and losing myself in him again. My control slipped as his weight pushed me down to the floor, and I moved my hands down to scratch along his back.

The door burst opened once more and half bounced off the end wall. I barely had time to register the new occupant in the room before Carlisle pulled away from me and resumed his seated position on the floor. His gaze met Edward's tense face, both of them keeping silent.

"Have you ever heard of knocking?" I said sitting up and trying to ease the rush that was building up inside me, it was as though an electric current had been passed through me.

_Perfect timing Edward,_

*

"Technically," A familiar voice sounded through the trees behind us and I instinctively crouched into a defensive position. "This land is public property so you are not really on my so called layer at all." Emil said emerging from the trees and grinning at Edward in a satisfied manner.

~To Be Continued.


	25. Chapter 25: AN Bloodlust & Revelations

A/N: Sine I have been editing a few of my chapters, and deleted the preview one the order of the chapters has been mixed up a bit and so I have reloaded this as chapter 25, so that you can review this one... Thank you to StormDragonFly for pointing it out.

Hope you are all having a good weekend. I want to note that I have been going around editing and rewriting sections of my previous chapter. Basically correct the errors in grammar...etc. I am surprised I received so many reviews for such chapters, my typos were far beyond acceptable. Anyway I want to thank you all for being so supportive with your comments, reviews and general feedback.

I bring you another update with some more insight into the "new" Isabella Swan. The title give a pretty big hint into them theme around the events taking place here. Let me know your thoughts and impressions, I do take them all into consideration and apprechiate them very much.

* * *

**Chapter 24 : ****Bloodlust & Revelations**

**BPOV**

"Bella," Carlisle's grip tightened around my arms as the footsteps drew near; the scents of flowing crimson were growing more intense. I remained frozen to the spot despite Jasper and Carlisle's best efforts to move me. The door way remained open and the eyes of the others in the room were fixed upon me.

_I can't, he would never forgive me._

Edward walked slowly over to me and reached out for my hand watching me tentatively. "Come Bella, we can go hunting"

"I do not recall allowing you to leave headquarters Edward," Aro said in a high voice, lined with anticipation. The voices were only just beyond the door, and my throat was on fire. I could barely contain myself further.

"Bring one of your guards then," Edward said taking my hand. I immediately pulled it back and stare at him wide eyed.

_No _

"It's alright Bella," Edward said silkily and I saw his eyes flicker over to Carlisle and the same minute smile curled his lips again.

"Heidi" Aro called as the figure of a tall excessively beautiful woman with long mahogany hair; her eyes were red with a distinctly violet tint due to the blue contacts she was wearing.

"Master," She said eagerly taking Aro's hands in her and smiling warmly. There was a deliberate voluptuousness within her persona. "I am so sorry to have kept you waiting,"

Aro kissed both her hands and beamed at her excitedly, "Have you been successful?"

"Oh yes," Heidi turned and cast her eyes over me; frowning somewhat yet she made no further acknowledgement of me. She turned on her heel and disappeared out the door, her voice could be heard just outside it.

"You may come in now,"

Carlisle pulled my hand and hurried me to the door pushing past Edward who was eyeing me closely. A low sound left my chest as Heidi reentered followed by large groups of tourists. Alice, Rosalie and Emmett had hurriedly sprinted to the second doorway across the atrium, and were, along with the Denali's beckoning us to follow.

I gasp as the vampire instincts clouded over me again, commanding me to pounce and attack. Carlisle's eyes met mine, the warmth and compassion reflected with them, the memory of his struggles and his trials. My throat was painfully on fire now, I couldn't hold it. My hand broke from Carlisle grasp and I sprinted around, pushing past all of the humans and fleeing out of the room. I ignored the calls of the others and ran down the corridor, the burning was becoming unbearable and every fiber of me willed me to go back. I could hear Aro greeting each of the tourists in such a friendly manner that anyone could have sworn he genuinely meant good will to them. My thoughts fell over my parents; these tourists could easily have included them.

_Keep running, keep running. _

I turned a corner and reached a flight of stone steps, I ran down them taking each step two at a time, my chamber was no far. I could hide there until it was over, until the burning and aching hunger stopped.

"Bella!" The many voices called from a distance as I ran through the labyrinthine passageways and towards my chamber door. I threw myself against it bursting the door, the scent was still lingering with my throat and there was a strong intension within me to go back. But I wouldn't. I slammed the door shut and hurriedly locked it before moving towards the corner of the room and collapsing onto the floor. I remained there for several minutes staring at the ground, thinking of anything in an effort to distract myself from the pain. I closed my eyes and focused, determined not to yield.

From behind my eyelids an odd glow emerged in front of me, closely followed by a splinting sound. I opened my eyes and stared at the ground, upon the stone floor a gentle orange-red flame was flickering, glowing warming onto my face. Instinctively I slide back against the wall, fire was one of the things that could destroy a vampire, and I knew that from when the Cullen's were annihilating James.

_Did I just set the floor on fire?_

"Bella" A familiar velvet voice came through the door way. I raised my head and gazed at the doorway for a moment, trying very hard not to swallow. The flames flickered slightly as I got to my feet.

"Let me in Bella," Carlisle said after a moment

I glided to the door and unlocked it, holding my breath as I swung it open. Carlisle moved in and put an arm around my shoulder closing the door behind him.

"You did nothing wrong Bella," He said gazing at my face.

_How was it possible for him to know me so well?_

I smiled weakly keeping my mouth tightly closed as I moved back towards the fire and sank back upon the floor and stared into the flames. I felt Carlisle eyes gaze upon the stone floor and he let out a sharp gasp.

"How did that happen?" He asked sitting down beside me.

"I don't know, was just sitting here trying to not to think about the fire in my throat and then" I pointed to the fire which was slowly dying down. I felt oddly exhausted, not physically, but mentally this thirst business was difficult to handle.

"We need Eleazar for this I think," Carlisle said as he leaned against the wall; his hands wrapped his hands around mine and raised them to his lips, kissing each one.

He was completely calm and I could bear suppress my surprise at this. "You're not freaked out?"

Carlisle smiled and shook his head, still keeping his hands in mine. "I knew you would possess certain talents Bella, even if they are unusual."

"I set the floor on fire..." I said amazed at his relaxed attitude.

"Yes I can see that, but you also managed to shield both of us from Jane and deflect her power back on herself." He said as the flames flickered somewhat weakly in front of us. The stone floor still appeared to be intact despite the exposure to the heat.

"And then" Carlisle continued locking his eyes on my face. "You managed to achieve something I spent the good part of two hundred years perfecting." He said gently stroking my upper arm.

"But I wanted to kill them Carlisle, I wanted to…." I broke off and wrenched my hands away from him.

"Yet you resisted, and for a new born that is somewhat of a remarkable miracle. I doubt I would've been able to resist."

I buried my face in my shaking hands and let out a low moan.

"Look at me Bella," Carlisle moved and pulled my hands away from my face, his eyes blazed into my determined and sincere.

"You are not a monster my love. To resist human blood the way you did, it takes real strength. I know Eleazar said you were powerful Bella, but this is beyond remarkable."

I blinked and leaned my head against his, closing my eyes and allowing myself to take in his scent. "I don't think all my powers are all good,"

"What makes you say that?"

I opened my eyes and glanced over at the shattered remains of the mirror on the opposite side of the room.

"I broke that, just by looking at it." I said weakly. Carlisle stared at the mirror frowning somewhat. "What happened exactly?"

I hurriedly provided an account of what had happened after I woke up, the reality of it surprised me somewhat at how bizarre it sounded.

"My eyes went black as the scent became more intense and then when I looked into the mirror, the glass broke." I said carefully.

"Something else Eleazar can explain for," Carlisle said thoughtfully, "As a matter of interest did you find the source of this… scent?"

If I was still human I knew my cheek would have glowed pink at this point. "It was… you,"

_This was really sounding weird now._

Carlisle moved slightly and pulled me closer to his chest, his expression amazed.

"Are you sure it wasn't Edward, Bella?" He asked

I let out a small laugh and shook my head. It was true Edward's scent, like all of the vampires here was distinct even more so then when I was a human, but none of them matched in comparison to Carlisle.

"Please answer me Bella,"

"No. It was you, that's why I ran to find you. Only when I was with you did it ease off." I said calmly. Carlisle frowned before gently cupping my face in his hands, gazing at me intently.

"Why did you think it was Edward's scent?" I asked giving him a quizzical look.

"I think you can work that out for yourself," He murmured as his mouth captured mine. I was lost for words at this point and I settled for wrapping my arms around his neck and losing myself in him again. My control slipped as his weight pushed me down to the floor, and I moved my hands down to scratch along his back.

The door burst opened once more and half bounced off the end wall. I barely had time to register the new occupant in the room before Carlisle pulled away from me and resumed his seated position on the floor. His gaze met Edward's tense face, both of them keeping silent.

"Have you ever heard of knocking?" I said sitting up and trying to ease the rush that was building up inside me, it was as though an electric current had been passed through me.

_Perfect timing Edward,_

"I didn't think it was necessary seeing as the floor is on fire." Edward said nodding over to the ground, where the fire was now blazing fiercely and slowly spreading around.

Carlisle scrambled to his feet and helped me up instantly. "Does anyone have any water, or something?" I asked now wondering how the intensity of it had increased so suddenly.

"Only you can put it out Bella," Eleazar's voice came around the door way with a slightly bemused expression on his face.

I walked over to the stand beside the bed, Carlisle's hand still in mine and I cast an eye fire and frowned. "How?"

"Relax, calm your emotions." Eleazar said folding his arms.

Relaxing was far from my list of priorities at the moment, perhaps Jasper would come and offer some help. My head was spinning in a somewhat uncomfortable fashion and my burning throat had worsened somewhat. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to think of something mundane and calming.

There was a light rushing sound matching that of a gust of wind and the cold feeling ran along the back of my neck.

"Open your eyes Bella," Carlisle said from beside me.

My eye lids flickered open and I scanned the floor closely, the fire or whatever it had been was gone. I heaved a heavy sigh and sank back onto the bed feeling confused, how on earth had I managed to conjure up fire out of thin air.

Eleazar leaned back against the doorway with his arms folded and gazing intently at Edward.

"I think I have got a good grasp of their nature now." Eleazar muttered.

"Already?" Carlisle said raising his eyebrows, "you've only seen her once."

"And that was enough," Eleazar replied coolly before turning and going over to examine the broken mirror. "Edward tells me you broke this," He said glancing at me briefly.

"Not intentionally, I was just looking at it and then it shattered." I said earnestly.

"Did you see anything that caused you distress, emotionally I mean." Eleazar asked.

I nodded and explained about the burning sensation caused by the scent and my eyes going jet black. Eleazar nodded in an almost business like fashion. "I think I have a pretty good idea. It matches with my theory on how you managed to attack Jane."

"An emotionally motivated shield," I said thoughtfully.

"Exactly," It was Edward who spoke this time; he was smiling in a satisfied manner. "No doubt Aro will want to start training immediately after this."

It was somewhat frustrating that I would have to be trained by such a hateful bunch of vampire. The Volturi had managed to stir up the wildest rage within me, and if Aro believed that we would be getting involved with his sordid war then he could think again. Emil wouldn't have a chance to get anywhere near the Volturi, not when I had finished with them. I guiltily felt a great deal of satisfaction in giving Jane a taste of her own medicine. Carlisle sat himself down beside me and put an arm around my shoulder, he sensed my tension so effortlessly that even with this simple silent gesture I felt myself relax.

"Would you mind explaining to me what powers I actually have," I asked carefully.

Eleazar nodded as he walked over to stand beside me, he outstretched his hand and took it in mine, frowning thoughtfully. "You possess, it seems, the ability to create a weapon of psychic energy." He said slowly nodding at my amazed expression on my face. It was rarely odd and somewhat unbelievable.

"But it seems that your emotional state interferes with it. For instance you felt distress and frightened by what you saw in the mirror, hence you were able to destroy it using your empathic energy to smash the mirror."

"And shielding Jane's power?" I asked coolly, still feeling confused.

"How did you feel when she was attempting to torture you?" Edward asked

"I felt angry and defensive," I said truthfully, clenching my free hand into a fist at memory of it.

"Hence the generation of the deflective shield," Eleazar said nodding,

"How can you explain the fire?" Carlisle asked, voicing the next question that was lingering in my mind. To me at least the answer for that seemed clear, my throat had been burning almost unbearably at the time so I must have channeled what I was feeling into the molecular format, being the fire.

"Seeing as Bella managed to resist the humans," Eleazar said with a tone of immense wonderment. "I would say that she wanted to rid herself of the pain in her throat, used her ability to conjure the fire as a way of ridding herself from the sensation in her throat."

"It did ease off after the fire appeared," I said quickly. "And then it intensified again when…" I cast a small grin at Carlisle as he entwined my fingers in his.

Edward let out an almost exasperated sigh and looked out across the open doorway. I felt Carlisle loosen his grip from around me, I got to my feet and moved towards Edward's side. His gaze met mine for a moment and I could just see the vivid image of the Edward I once knew back in Forks. It had been a while since I had seen him in such a fashion.

"What's wrong?" I asked slowly casting half a glance at Carlisle.

"Charlotte wants to ask you something," Edward said averting his gaze from me. There was a loud crack and the figure of my best friend materialized into the room her face stern and disgruntled.

"Aro has given her a message to give to you," Edward added as he leaned back against the doorway.

"Will you stop reading my mind, I can't get any privacy with you around" Charlotte muttered shaking her head annoyed.

"You have a message?" I said folding my arms; I still couldn't believe that Charlotte had so easily become one of them, a member of the Volturi. Perhaps becoming a vampire had changed her more than I could have imagined.

Charlotte turned her red eyed gaze upon me her expression altering into half a smile. "Seeing as you won't take human blood and Aro wants to begin training you immediately, he feels that you need to be fully nourished before hand." She paused her a moment as though on the brink of dropping a revelation. "I've brought you these seeing as it is too risky for you to go outside at the moment."

She pulled out a small bag from inside her cloak and handed it to me, the content within clinked loudly resembling the sound of glass bottles being knocked together. I reached inside and pulled out two tall flask-like containers each filled with blood.

"I managed to store some animal blood for you both," Charlotte said looking from me to Carlisle.

As much as I wanted to wait, the burning in my throat had escalated rapidly once more. My fingers hurriedly unscrewed the top and I raised the content to my lips tentatively.

"Go ahead Bella" Edward said casually, "You'll need your strength,"

I closed my eyes and took a long sip expecting myself to become nauseated by the flavor, it was foolish to even consider such a thing as I drank more rapidly than I could have imagined. It was surprisingly delicious and the way it soothed my throat was beyond relieving. Within minutes I had finished the entire content of the flask, I wiped my mouth on my sleeve and looked sheepishly at Charlotte handing her back the flask.

"Thank you," I muttered running a hand along my neck, the burning sensation had eased off but it was still there nevertheless.

"You're welcome, I doubt you will have to live on this blood for long though. I could probably have a word with Aro; get him to allow you an hour of hunting time or so."

Eleazar made a noise resembling that of a snigger as he walked past her to the doorway. "You are foolishly confident Charlotte, Aro rarely grants favors."

"He does with me," Charlotte said smugly. "And now as much as I liked to hang around chatting, we really have to get going." She looked pointed at me again.

"Can't it wait Charlotte?" Edward asked bitterly, "Allow her some time to rest."

"What did I tell you about reading my thoughts Edward," Charlotte replied coldly as she leaned forward and took her hand in mine. "I am really sorry, but Aro requested that you be returned to the main atrium to start training as soon as you had fed."

Carlisle tightened his grip around my waist instinctively as I felt my entire self flinch.

_Training now, but why so soon_

"He has got Alice keeping an eye on Emil and the Valhalla's" Edward replied looking over at me and then with a sudden realization dawning on his face hurriedly looked away.

"So what, they're coming to launch an attack on us?" Carlisle asked,

"They are building up to it, so to speak." Charlotte said beckoning me towards the doorway.

"It is only a matter of days now," Edward said solemnly. "They know now that you've been turned and probably know that the Volturi have got you."

"How can you be sure?" I asked quickly, Emil hadn't seen us leave Paris and there was no sign of him to be seen around Volterra. Carlisle would have picked up on the presence of him in any case. But then a lingering though haunted my mind suddenly as I thought back over my last encounter with him, the memory of Emil's voice echoed within the back of my mind.

"_I have already managed to acquire a spy within the Volturi themselves,"_

"Bella," Carlisle said slowly pressing his lips against my head. He sensed the sudden feeling of unease with me as the image of Emil flashed before my eyes. I swallowed and looked up at him with a small smile, before slowly following Charlotte and Edward out of the doorway. My thoughts here racing now, who on earth could be spying here, who would be foolish enough to do that to Aro and be able to deceive him in such a manner. Aro could read the thought of every person here, except for me and I wasn't the spy. As we walked I felt Edward's eyes watching me and I began to wonder if, perhaps he was able to read my thoughts after all.

* * *

This lingered within my all thoughts all throughout my first three days of training session with a sickeningly over delighted Aro who had been given a full account of my potential from a reluctant Eleazar. The many ruby eyes fixed intently upon me around the Atrium, as I slowly worked my way through blocking Jane and Alec. Chelsea had been excessively each to block, though I was amazed to find that she possessed an influence over the emotional ties between people.

"You say she can generate fire," Caius said lazily walking around me and fixing me with a curious stare.

"When placed under the right conditions," Eleazar said looking over at Carlisle who was standing close by Aro and Jasper each of them immersed in conversation.

"What sort of conditions?" Caius asked stopping in front of me and narrowing his eyes to examine me closely.

"Emotionally distressful ones it seems" Charlotte said in response coming up close beside me. "She can smash mirrors too,"

I looked over at Charlotte frowning slightly she had been excessively persistent in trying to get me to randomly use my powers in awkward situations.

"Interesting," Caius said thoughtfully. "Do you, I think we have been a bit too easy on you Isabella" He smirked and turned away walking towards Aro. "What you need is a real challenge, would you agree my lord"

Aro flickered his eyes upon me and smiled gently, "Perhaps, but what did you have in mind Caius?"

Wordlessly Caius placed a hand in Aro's and waited a few moments before Aro pulled away. "We could try that I suppose,"

"Don't you dare Aro," Edward said warning coming up in front of me fists clenched.

"Let's have some fun, shall we" Caius grinning as he strolled to the back of his throne like chair and pulled out a large silver and jewel incrusted sword.

"Aro," Carlisle said warningly before moving away towards me. "This isn't necessary,"

"Oh I think it is, what harm can it do to try out new methods," Aro said shrugging casually.

"You're forcing her to do too much; the aim is to allow her to maintain a steady control of her powers." Edward said furiously. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at this. If I had been able to block Jane and the other talented ones from myself, Charlotte and the other Cullen's, shielding a sword should be easy.

"Marcus," Caius said suddenly stopping between Edward and Carlisle, fingering the sword lovingly in his hands. "Which one should I go for?"

"Don't Caius please," Charlotte said looking over at Alice's frozen expression.

Marcus fixed his eyes on me for a short moment as then towards Caius; he gave a slow signaling nod.

"Very Well, brace yourself" He raised his sword and directed it firmly at Edward and strolled over to him in three long steps.

"Get back Edward," I said in a high voice, I knew nothing would come over it, none of the defensive sensations that been ignited within me as they had before. Caius paused for a split second before turning sharply and rounding on Carlisle. "I do hope you're not afraid of death old friend."

"No!" I half screamed pushing Edward aside and sprinting in front of Carlisle, his expression was not so much fearful as it was resigned. Caius launched the side of the sword directly towards Carlisle's neck. I focused all my energy upon the blade, it won't hurt him, and I will not let him be killed. There was a deafening eruption of sound followed by the shattering and splintering of a sword's blade as it disintegrated into ash colored dust at Caius's feet, his hand still holding the handle.

"How intriguing," Aro said half amazed as I came up beside Carlisle and fixed a determined glare on Caius.

"If you threaten my fiancé again you'll be meeting the same fate as your sword" I said running my foot along the top pf the pile of ashes.

Caius chuckled lightly and held out his handle for me to shake. "If you do that with Emil and his bunch of rebels, I will see to it that you get your own throne," he said grinning as he enclosed his hand around mine and shook it gently.

"I think we can allow Isabella some rest now, I think." Aro said beaming at me affectionately. I was half glad that Jane wasn't here to see this at present, for she already hated me and no doubt this would drive her over the edge.

I nodded and moved away slowly with Carlisle his arm firmly around my waist. "That was quiet something," He whispered pressing his lips against my ear, there was a definite tone of proud admiration in his voice.

"Thank you, I still can't believe I managed to shatter a sword into dust." I said amazed by my own strength, and then again any sign of a threat against Carlisle always stirred up some overwhelming emotion within me. It was unconscious defense most times, the determination to destroy anything that dare harm him in any fashion. It made sense now why Aro had been so eager to keep all the Cullen's together, my love for them would be the main source of my ability to protect them and in this case the Volturi coven as well.

We were half way down the hall at this point when Edward came up in front of us looking somewhat preoccupied. "Bella, I need a word with you alone if that is possible" He said glancing at Carlisle.

"Anything you have to say you can say in front of Carlisle," I said with a small smile.

"Its okay Bella," Carlisle said kissing the top of my head and walking away up the hall, casting a pointed look at Edward before continuing.

"What is it now?" I asked feeling wary, my eyes fixed upon Charlotte who was standing not far behind us.

"Seeing as you have some free time on your hands I was wondering if you would come on a trip with me and Charlotte," Edward said in a minute whisper.

I blinked and looked around to make sure no one else was listening. "Where exactly?"

"I'd rather not say at present," Edward said calmly. "We'll be gone for less than a half hour at the most, so long as Charlotte can trace correctly."

I shook my head firmly. "Can Carlisle come?"

"No Bella he can't. I'm sure you can be without him for a few minutes."

I could indeed, but it didn't mean that I wanted to his presence and the scent was becoming excessively addictive. If possible I could even sympathize with Edward now during the early years when he had compared me to being like his own personal brand of heroin.

Charlotte strolled cautiously up beside us looking uncomfortable. Edward nodded to her silent before focusing his attention on me again.

"Please Bella, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important." He said with a pleading look in his golden eyes.

"Alright fine, but no more than a half hour at the most." I said turning and hurrying to return to Carlisle. I guessed that Edward didn't want everyone to know of our plans, but my determination to avoid keeping secrets got the better of me.

"And you have no idea where you are going," Carlisle asked after I caught up with him minutes later and gave him a hurried explanation.

"No, I think it is to hunt or something anyway I just wanted to ask if it was okay…" I said tentatively

Carlisle frowned and glanced over my shoulder at Edward who was waiting in the corner with Charlotte.

"Of course it is, you don't' need my permission Bella,"

"I do want your advice on it though," I said locking my gaze on his face.

"Go, but be careful. The Volturi possess eyes in the back of their head and if they find out."

"I'll be careful," I said pressing my lips to his briefly and casting him a smile before scooting off back to Edward.

"Everything alright?" Charlotte asked curiously as we moved over to a dark and secluded corner of the corridor. I nodded as Edward placed one hand in mine and another on Charlotte's. There was a slightly tugging sensation and the entire image of the Volturi's lair was consumed in a whirl pool like format. I closed my eyes for a moment until my feet met hard ground.

I opened my eyes and looked around at the unfamiliar location; I seemed to be in a densely populated forest filled with towering trees littered with dozens of emerald leaves. I could only just see the black sky high above me, salted with tiny crystal-like stars. The floor was covered in dried up grass and thick tree roots, a million and one scents and flavors filled the air as I looked around.

"Where are we exactly?" I asked, slowly looking from Charlotte to Edward.

"Hard to recognize this place when it isn't covered in snow," Edward muttered with a grin.

I blinked and looked hurried around again, comprehension dawning upon me suddenly. "We're in Serbia?"

Charlotte nodded sheepishly and bit her lip. "I've been taking Edward here a lot, though he never tells me why though."

"That's because it is none of your business, now run along and hunt. We'll meet you back here in a half hour." Edward said taking me back the hand and setting off in a sprint through the dense clumps of trees and bushes.

"What the hell Edward!" I said running to keep up with him.

"Oh relax will you, we're not doing anything wrong." He said grinning.

"You could have at least told me you were bring me to Serbia,"

"I couldn't risk you telling Carlisle," He said coolly coming up to the edge of a grass covered hillside and looking around expectantly.

I wrenched my arm away from him and cast him a furious look. "Yes and risk him preventing you from taking his fiancée right into the enemy's layer."

"Technically," A familiar voice sounded through the trees behind us and I instinctively crouched into a defensive position. "This land is public property so you are not really on my so called layer at all." Emil said emerging from the trees and grinning at Edward in a satisfied manner.

"You," I exclaimed in mingled shock and confusion to Emil.

"Didn't you tell her Edward? Goodness you are getting rather careless."

"It was a safety precaution," Edward said coming up in front of Emil and shaking his hand. Emil nodded before turning upon me holding out his hand. "Isabella, the vampire. You are as ravishing as I imagined, Carlisle did a good job on you I see…"

I said nothing merely glared at him in suspicion as his pressed his lips to my hand. I knew now who this apparent insider Emil had within the Volturi was, but how and why it had come to this was far beyond any reason I could come up with.

"Can we get on with this Emil," Edward said coming upside me, "We don't have much time."

Emil nodded, still fixing a smile upon me with avid curiosity.

~To Be Continued.

* * *

Thoughts?

Let me know how you felt about this chapter, comments and reviews are most welcome. And please, be honest.

---------------

After reading this are you: Team Carlisle Or Team Edward?

What is Edward up to with Emil?

Has Edward been a secret spy for the Romanians all along?

What is the significance into Bella being so attracted to only one particular scent?

Will Bella be strong enough to save the Cullen's from the upcoming battle?

What is going on between Charlotte and Aro?


	26. Chapter 26: Secrets

**A/N **

_Hello everyone, I hope you all had a good week. _

_I have to admit I am amazed to see that this story had reached over 600 reviews,. I am honestly very grateful for all your wonderful reviews, comments and general feedback on this story. They are a big help in ading me write and continue inspiring me to write._

_Subscribers as always, I am very grateful to you all for your support. I would like to add that I have been rewriting and editing a couple of the previous chapters in this story._

_I will admit I had some last minute influence on this chapter, which lead to it being a little longer than I had planned it to be. _

_Now I noticed that Charlotte's gift of being able to trace may have a connoting to an element out of the Harry Potter book series. I assure it wasn't my intention to make it resemble that at all. I did some research on old powers held by vampires and tracing came up as being one of them, and the reason for it is not due to magic. _

**Edited: 10/21/2010**

**DISCLAIMER: I am not S. Meyer. All characters in this story belong to her, except for Emil Valhalla and Charlotte Hyde.**

_Read, Review & Enjoy!_

* * *

**Chapter 25**

It was not the first time I had been furious with Edward and this time it was involving deception, which made it worse. It wasn't about just his manipulation of me; it was about what he did to his entire family and the betrayal he was committing by associating with the Valhallas. The evil. All this time he had been consorting with Emil while the entire Cullen family had nearly sacrificed their existence to aid the Volturi. He still looked at same as the time during our last meeting in Paris, where he had tried to change me. Emil was dressed completely in black, his eyes more red than usual, a telling sign that he had evidently fed just that evening.

"I don't believe you!" I exclaimed, feeling my entire body shake with fury. My throat was burning and my fangs elongated and I had an overwhelming desire to attack.  
Emil's smile broke into a grin and he moved swiftly to stop in front of me. I locked my eyes onto him and felt my fists clench defensively.

"Isabella," Emil began calmly as he took my hands in his. "You know I am no threat to you or your new coven."  
I let out a growl and advanced forwards.

"Emil is on our side, Bella you have nothing to worry about," Edward assured with a careful smile, making sure that I didn't set anything on fire.

"Worry about?" I said in a low furious hiss. "Edward, his clan are the reason why we are in this mess." I said wrenching my hands away from Emil and breaking off his gaze, evidently he was trying and failing to hypnotize me again.

"It is the Volturis blinded arrogance that caused all this," he murmured.

"You're the one who is picking a fight with them," I said bitterly.

Emil rolled his eyes and cast a bemused look at Edward. "Your fiancée has been polluted by Aro, Edward. You should make amends."

Edward let out an almost exasperated sigh and fixed his eyes intently on the grass floor. "Bella is not my fiancée, Emil," he said in a hollow voice laced with sincerity.

"Then who?" Emil asked gazing down at the ring on my finger.

"Carlisle," I said trying very hard to avoid Edward's eyes. If Carlisle knew where Edward had taken me, he would not be happy. Judging by their last encounter with each other, I began to believe that they truly loathe each other now. I wished Carlisle was here, for I had begun to miss him already. It was rather odd but this was the first time I had been away from him at all for many weeks.

How has he become such an addiction for me? I thought to myself.

Emil's expression altered from a look of pure amusement to incomprehensible shock. He started pacing immediately and that induced a sudden change in the atmosphere, it was tense.

"He's moved on," Emil muttered half to himself. "But how? This sort of thing never happens."

I had to admit this reaction didn't surprise me in the slightest, upon the news of our engagement there had been few people who were genuinely happy about it. Jasper and Emmett had both been ecstatic, Jasper in particular since he managed to earn twenty dollars from Emmett. Rosalie seemed happy, but Alice on the other hand had continued her muted silence. She had barely spoken to me much, although occasionally I caught her whispering frantically to Carlisle during my hours of training. He did not seem phased by her attitude much which I was grateful for, but it still does not settle the fact that fate was evidently going against us. She still believed I belonged with Edward, that he was my soul mate and one true love. That my relationship with Carlisle meant nothing.

"Believe me, Emil, I was as surprised as you are," Edward, said gazing at him calmly. I blinked and cast my eyes to the ground still half occupied in thought.

"When did he propose to you?" Emil asked hurriedly.  
"About a week ago," I said trying to maintain a neutral tone in order to mask my underlying suspicion about his reaction. "He asked me just before he changed me."

"And you accepted?"

"Obviously," I said, gesturing to the ring.  
Emil turned away and began pacing up and down, the soles of his feet brushing over the grass. He cursed and muttered to himself.

"Do you love him?" Emil asked, stopping suddenly in mid pace and staring at me with accusing eyes.  
What kind of question was that? I frowned and looked at Edward, and suddenly wished for a moment that he wasn't here. I didn't want him to hear me saying words that would no doubt hurt him. It dawned upon me that I had not received Edward's reaction upon the matter. He had not mentioned or spoken about it at all. It was as though he was trying to act like it did not exist.

"Why else would I be marrying him?" I asked feeling somewhat guilty and foolish, but I was talking to Emil here.

"How could you have allowed this, Edward?" he exclaimed furiously as though something disastrous had happened.  
Allowed this?

"Bella does have her own free will and I'm hardly going to do anything to make her unhappy," he replied, looking down at the grass.

"But Carlisle already had a mate," Emil said half exasperatedly, looking at Edward with wide eyes. "And you cannot say that the bond between them broke when she died…"

"New bonds can be formed, Emil."

"This wasn't supposed to happen; the foundation of your alliance with us has been corrupted," Emil said turning and pacing up and down the grass hillside again, his pale complexion bathed in moonlight.  
I stared at him, frowning slightly while contemplating the meaning of his words.

Foundation of our alliance? My frustration was reaching a boiling point and I took a step back, willing my emotions to say in check. I couldn't risk setting Emil on fire, just yet. I felt Edward take my hand in his and a shot of electricity rushed through my finger tips. I jerked backwards and wrenched my hand away in a reflex, like I had touched a red hot poker. Edward shot me a looked at me with astonishment. I looked back at Emil, focusing on him and trying to forget the sensation.

"So you're on the Volturis side, are you?" Emil asked resentfully. "Carlisle just forgave them for murdering Esme and joined them."

"That's ridiculous," I said shaking my head and smirking in a bemused fashion. "Our views on the Volturi will never change. Yes I'm in their clan, but only because the rest of the Cullens are under their control. I'm not on their side Emil, in fact I don't even want to fight in this damn war that the lot of you have subjected us to."  
Emil turned his head sharply and fixed his eyes determinedly on Edward his expression somewhat vacant.

"The plan is already in place, but it cannot go forward unless you are on our side, Isabella. The Volturi cannot be destroyed if you and the rest of the Cullens are not with us."

I hesitated slightly, thinking over Charlotte and the prospect of the Denali clan; it was not exactly a fair choice. Although I did have a good idea which side the rest wanted to fight for and it certainly was not the Volturi. Emil seemed to sense my insecurities over the matter and hurriedly came over to stand in front of me. "They have been in power for too long, Isabella. They have done nothing but treat our kind like criminals forced to hide away in the shadows. Do we not have the right to liberty and freedom, to be open and honest?" he said carefully.

"Not if it means sacrificing human lives," I said shortly, folding my arms and looking at Edward again.

"You know our clan better than that, Isabella; we do not think the way Aro does."

That was certainly true, the evidence I had seen at the  
ball was enough to confirm that fact.

"The Volturi killed Esme and brought a terrible pain to Carlisle. Surely you would want to avenge him for such a crime."

The fire in my throat was back again and my mind became somewhat clouded as he spoke. I had to control myself or else risk setting the whole forest on fire. My eyes snapped shut as I tried to calm down. Something was not right here, for one thing, Edward had been excessively quiet. Perhaps he was engrossed by Emil's thoughts or something.

"If I help you, I want a guarantee that the Cullens and the Denalis will be safe," I said quickly.  
Emil's smile widened and he nodded in silent agreement. "You have my word…"

There was a flash and a blaze of flames erupted from the grass forming a ring around Emil.

"Lair," I hissed, taking a step forwards and crouching low, preparing to pounce. "You think after what you tried to do to me, that I would believe you?"

"I am no liar, Isabella," Emil said, his eyes gleaming as he stared around at the flames. Edward was still silent and motionless despite the hillside now being on fire.

"You tried to kill Carlisle to get me into your coven, and now you're saying that's it all for the good of humanity. That the Volturi need to be destroyed for the safety of both the vampire and human realm?"  
Emil inclined his head and backed away cautiously, watching the flames warily. "I deeply regret what happened in Paris, Isabella. I have no intention of harming you or Carlisle. I acted foolishly and out of desperation."

"That's no excuse," I said, folding my arms and gazing over the flames, willing them to creep ever-closer to Emil.

"Bella," Edward said warningly. "Take it easy." He had evidently snapped out of his quiet state.  
"You do realize that if you can do this," Emil said in wonderment, " we might not even need to have a battle after all."

Edward narrowed his eyes at him slightly and cast a suspicious glance between us. "That would put the people of Volterra in danger Emil," he said in response to Emil's thoughts.

"What's he thinking?" I asked Edward slowly.

"An invasion," Emil said simply. "I think the Volturi should get a taste of their medicine for once." His eyes flickered somewhat resentfully towards Edward.

"You want to storm their headquarters' and set the entire place on fire?" I asked, reducing the fire to a single flame before banishing it altogether.

"Something like that, no doubt some combat will be involved, but once Aro and his dear ones have been destroyed…The only thing that stops us is the guards. But of course with your help that problem can easily be solved," he said, grinning mischievously.

I pondered over the matter for a few moments. The idea of destroying the Volturi, the coven who had practically torn the Cullen coven apart and going after me when I was a human, was beyond tempting. They violated their own laws and lived hypocritically, dominating the vampire realm like royalty. But they had kept the realm a secret from the humans and, despite everything I had been through, I was glad that they lived by this tradition.

Humans shouldn't be allowed to know about the vampire realm, not if they could help it. There was far too much risk and sacrifice involved; I would never wish anyone my own fate, even though I had wanted it.

I may not like the Volturi but I had more faith in them then I had in Emil and the Valhallas. I would wait a while and examine both of the covens closely before deciding who I should fight with. I'd have to decide alone though and not risk Carlisle or Edward finding out about it.

"If you swear that no harm will come to the non-Volturi members, and the humans," I began carefully, locking my eyes with Emil's. "Then I will consider forming an alliance with you."

"I swear on my existence, Isabella," Emil said and he inclined his head as he spoke. Edward smiled vaguely as though he was half listening and suddenly there was a dense rustling sound coming from the trees behind us.

"We should go, Charlotte's coming," Edward said hastily. "We'll be in touch Emil, when the time is right I'll let you know."

Emil bowed and came up in front me again; he clasped his hand in mine and raised it to his lips. "It was a pleasure seeing you again."

I withdrew my hand and gave him a small smile, hoping my resentment for him wasn't revealed in my facial expression. It took all the strength and control within me not to set him on fire.

"Beware of Aro, Isabella. He will stop at nothing to fabricate the truth and manipulate you," he said quickly, before disappearing down the hillside into the darkness.

For a brief few moments I was alone with Edward again.  
"We had better get going," he said carefully holding out his hand for me to take.

"Edward," I paused tentatively, "are you okay?" I asked, hoping he would see the underlying meaning in my question.

He nodded casually and smirked. "Of course I am, why do you ask?"

"Well, you haven't said much about… the engagement," I muttered as we both began to walk back into the dense forest again.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Bella, but I'm really not bothered by it."

I heaved a sigh of relief and relaxed somewhat as we continued to walk. Charlotte was still nowhere to be seen.

"What I mean is that, I doubt anything will come of it," Edward continued.

"What do you mean?"

He stopped abruptly and turned to face me directly, locking his darkening eyes upon me. "I understand why you went with Carlisle and why you think he's the one."

"Oh really?" I said, folding my arms and narrowing my eyes at him in accusation.

"He could satisfy you while you were human, give into to your… needs, without hurting you. I couldn't have done that."

"Our relationship isn't based on sex, Edward," I said coldly, turning on my heel and walking down the dusty pathway littered with leaves.

"I know that," he said after a few moments of silence. "But you would have done the same thing with Jasper or with Emmett if either of them were… available."  
The large trunk of an oak tree shattered into a million minute fragments as he spoke, I ducked as bit of wood went flying around us. My fists were clenched and the burn in my throat had increased to its highest intensity –I exhaled willing myself to calm down.

"Is that what you think?" My voice had reached a high octave at this point. "That I would have just settled for anyone as long as they were a vampire with enough control?"

"You didn't have any other romantic relationships after I left," Edward said shrugging. "And then Carlisle comes along, takes advantage of you and…"

"He never took advantage of me. And you want to know why I never went out with anyone else, Edward? Because I was still in love with you and nothing else matched up to what you and I had. Nothing and nobody."

"Until you decided to have an affair with Carlisle."

"My relationship with Carlisle is completely different in comparison to what we had, Edward and you know it. This cool mannerism you possess is nothing but a front – I heard you and Carlisle talking while I was in that coma. I heard everything, so don't you dare pretend that what I have with him is nothing."

Edward started towards me, his face livid and the once gold of his eyes were jet black and positively menacing. "You have nothing, Bella. The only reason why you accepted him is because he was willing to claim you, because you saw his infatuation with you as a method of getting back at me."

"The world doesn't revolve around you, Edward, despite what Emil may have told you."

Edward seized my arms and pulled me roughly to his chest, a low growl escaping his lips. "Leave him and the Valhallas out of this; they are the only honest ones around us at the moment."

I blinked several times and glared up at him furiously before wrenching myself away from his grasp. "You want honesty, Edward? Fine, First I have always had feeling for Carlisle, since the day I met him in Forks. Secondly all I ever wanted from him at MIT was friendship but he managed to rekindle the feelings I had had all those years ago. Thirdly I didn't go to Paris because of the Volturi; I went to get away from Carlisle and end the relationship."

"It didn't work though, did it?" Edward muttered furiously, brushing bits of tree branches and leaves off his shoulders.

"No, because he came and found me, Carlisle came and found me. He faked his own death and risked his life to find me."

"He was highly rewarded for his troubles I'm sure," Edward snapped, gazing at me, his black eyes full of anguish. I shot in front of him with my hand raised up to his face ready to strike when…

"You've had over forty-five minutes and if you don't hurry up Aro will get suspicious." Charlotte's voice rang loudly over the deserted forest as she emerged from behind a cluster of bushes.

Edward torn his gaze away from me and looked at Charlotte, forcing himself to smile and nod curtly.

"Is everything okay?" Charlotte asked looking between the two of us.

"Sure it is," I said looking at her and smiling slowly. Charlotte nodded cautiously before holding out her hand for each of us to take. We both did so in silence, avoiding each other's gaze; it was obvious that nothing was okay.

The odd whirlpool like sensation engulfed me again for a few moments before I found myself back in the torch lit corridor of the Volturi lair. For the moment it was totally deserted, something I was grateful for.

"Who was that guy you were talking to earlier?" Charlotte asked suddenly looking between the two of us.  
Edward gave her a sharp look of warning that clearly  
indicated that she should not intrude.

"That was Emil Valhalla," I said in a low whisper. Edward nudged me hard in the ribs and cast me a look of utter disbelief.

"Are you insane?" Charlotte exclaimed furiously. "Edward I know you're spying on them, but showing off our secret weapon is not exactly a good idea."

"He wanted to see her, what was I suppose to do?" he said in mock exasperation, clearly relieved that I hadn't given the whole story away.

"Make something up; tell him Aro was keeping her as a prisoner," she suggested, running a frantic hand through her hair.

"But its too late for that now, oh crap. Aro will kill you if he finds out about this and what about Carlisle… you can hardly sneak off and…"

"Carlisle can mind his own business, Charlotte, and so can you. This is a private matter between Bella and myself," Edward said coldly. Charlotte looked up at him and she scowled, her expression was one of hurt.

"I can't believe you didn't lose your temper with him, or even kill him after all that he's done to Carlisle, Bella," Charlotte said frowning at me suspiciously. "Then again if it hadn't been for the Valhallas you would never have ended up with Carlisle."

Edward shot her a warning look in an attempt to silence her. I narrowed my eyes and looked at my best friend closely, feeling somewhat confused.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked on reflex.

Charlotte smirked and rolled her eyes. "Oh please don't act like you didn't know," she said slowly.

"Know what?"

"That the Valhallas are the reason why Carlisle is a widower," she murmured with a small smile.

I froze and locked my eyes on Edward who merely rolled his own and shook his head. "Why do you believe everything Aro tells you?" he asked furiously.

"Because he never lies about such matters," Charlotte stated.

"Give me a break, Charlotte, the guy is a manipulative bastard."

"Don't you dare speak of him like that," she snapped, pointing a finger into Edward's chest. "That's practically treason."

"How can the Valhallas be responsible for Esme's death?" I asked, astonished.

"They orchestrated the whole thing, that's all I can tell you," Charlotte said, pushing past the both of us and hurrying up the corridor before tracing away again.

My head was spinning and one thought dominated my mind; I needed to find Carlisle.

I knew Aro would stop at nothing to get any powerful vampire he needed on his coven's side, but to lie or even deny about something like this? The idea didn't make any sense.

"Bella," Edward called from some distance behind me. I stopped and closed my eyes for a moment, dreading what he was about to say.

"Yes?" I asked turning to find him standing inches from me.

"Please don't take what Charlotte said about Esme seriously. The Valhallas were not responsible for her death."

I hesitated and then nodded slowly, still feeling somewhat unconvinced.

"I wouldn't be working with them if they had been. One of the reasons why I want to see the downfall of the Volturi is because of what they did to Esme," he added quickly.

"Okay, it's fine. I know what Aro is like," I murmured, giving him a small smile before continuing my way up the corridor.

"Just one more thing," Edward began, catching up with me again. I stopped once more and folded my arms, looking at him quizzically.

"This might sound odd but I have to ask you, were you in love with Carlisle back in Forks?" he asked abruptly and taking me somewhat off guard.

"I was fascinated by him, particularly when I found out what he was and what he had been through," I said slowly, choosing my words carefully.

"And it is true that I was attracted to him, but I never acted on it. I was with you and Carlisle was with Esme. I disregarded such feelings, pointless as they were at the time."

"But you admit that you felt something for him," he asked sharply, leaning in towards me.

"Yes, but it wasn't anything back then, he's a good looking guy..."

"And yet you never possessed such feelings for any other vampire; Emmett, Jasper or even Emil?" Edward's voice brought me briefly back to reality. I winced slightly at the mention of Emil's name and then shuddered to think of finding him remotely attractive. It was true he was handsome, but in character, he reminded somewhat of The Joker from the Batman comics.

"No, never," I said shrugging. "I mean I've always seen Emmett and Jasper more as brothers."

Edward fixed his glance at the wall for a moment; his fists were clenched for a brief moment.

"I did care for you, Edward, more than you could ever imagine. And you almost broke my heart when you left. In fact I abandoned hope and did everything possible to try avoid thinking about you."

Edward placed my hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze, regret lining his eyes.

"It wasn't all bad though. I mean I buried myself in so much school work that I achieved a place to study at MIT." I grinned.

"But when I left you for so long, I broke more than just your heart," he said slowly. "I shattered the bond between us."

I nodded thoughtfully, that was certainly true and probably the reason why I was able to fall in love with someone else.

"Are you really going to marry him, Bella?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes, I am," I said immediately, feeling an odd sensation in my chest as I said the words. The tips of my incisors touched my bottom lip ever so slightly.

"Then there is no hope for us then?" He was closer to me now then before and still kept my hand locked in his grip. It seemed impossible that he would ever let this go, perhaps because Edward simply could not.

I shook my head apologetically, and turned my head to gaze up the corridor at the sound of approaching footsteps. The lingering scent that followed caused my throat to burn in an irritating fashion again. I secretly welcomed it, because there was only one person that could induce such a sensation.

"Regardless of what happened, I don't mind waiting another century for you. Marry Carlisle if it makes you happy, but it won't change anything," Edward said hurriedly.

"Edward, could you please be rational?" I said as he pulled me in closer to his chest and gripped me around the waist tightly. "I don't want you to wait for the impossible. I want you to move on and find someone else…"

"But I don't want anyone else," he murmured leaning in closer to my lips. Stopping him was not a challenge; a simple blow to the chest would send him fly across the corridor easily enough.

"You're so stubborn," I said pushing my hand against his chest in attempt to free myself from him. "If you want to make me happy, Edward, then move on and find someone new."  
Edward looked down at the ground for a long moment and winced, in spite of himself.

"I've tried, but it's impossible, Bella," he whispered, raising my face to meet his, the gold of his eyes fixed on my lips. I clenched my fist almost reflexively and pushed hard into his chest backing him into the corner of the wall.

"Edward…"

"I cannot abandon my true feelings now that they've been released," Edward said, staring at me intently.

I wrenched my hand off him forcefully and backed away shaking my head furiously. This was beyond ridiculous now, and the mere idea of it was making me feel resentful towards him. "I have moved on, why cant you? There is no need to put yourself through this grief…"

"Why?" Edward asked raising his eye brows. "I'm not going to form a relationship with someone else, not when I have found my soul mate, Bella." He moved in and pulled me closer to him once more, curving his lips into a smile.

The air was forming a thick haze around me and I had to steady myself against his gaze. The delicate aroma of his scent, matching that of mixed spices lingered around me making me feel dizzy. I needed to get away from him and find a place to reorganize my thoughts.

"Bella?" Carlisle's voice sounded from the far end of the corridor, breaking my momentarily oblivion and fixation on Edward. I hastily walked towards my fiancé as he came up swiftly beside us and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you alright, my love?"

"Yes, I'm fine," I said leaning in closer to him and glaring at Edward through narrowed eyes.  
"She's feeling a bit full after the hunting," Edward said with a breezily smile. "I've never seen anyone take to it so naturally."

Carlisle smiled a smile that did not meet his eyes and he leaned in to kiss the top of my head, pausing momentarily as he did so.

"Bella's got a natural gift for many things," he said calmly.

"Indeed, well I'd better go and find Aro. See you later, Bella." Edward shot me a warning look before leaving.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head against Carlisle's chest feeling somewhat relieved by his presence. "I missed you," I murmured quietly.

He pressed his lips to my forehead and tightened his grip around me before I began walking back to my chambers. I felt somewhat tired, not physically since that was impossible now, but mentally. The time spent training and then with Emil and Edward, the complications seemed to be increasing at an alarming rate. I honestly could not wait until this whole thing was over and done with, for the  
first time in a while I had actually begun to miss home.

"Where did you go with Edward?" Carlisle asked after a moment of silence.

I hesitated and fixed my gaze intently on the steps ahead of me, if I did tell him about Emil there was a chance Aro would find out. Then again how had Edward managed to keep his meetings with him secret for so long? My thoughts took me back to the New Year's Eve Ball; Emil and Vladimir had mentioned the Volturi sending an envoy to negotiate. It had to be Edward, acting as a double agent or something of that kind. It was too dangerous, but the idea of lying to him was not exactly a pleasant one.

I couldn't tell him, not after what happened the last time.

"I went hunting like Edward said. It was good. I managed to catch quiet a few deer this time around." I said slowly as the outline of our chamber door came into sight. Carlisle remained silent until we had both entered and I hurriedly shut the door behind me. His expression was as I had expected, stern and disapproving, perhaps even angry.

"Why are you lying to me, Bella?" he asked, running a hand through his hair.

I swallowed, feeling a slight twinge in my throat. I leaned back against the door and fixed my gaze on him cautiously. I had to make it more convincing; I couldn't afford Carlisle finding out about my meeting with Emil. The risk was too deadly.

"I'm not lying," I said in a deliberately hurt voice.  
Carlisle was in front of me before I had even managed to blink twice.

"Isabella, I know you were with Emil. I can smell his scent all over you," he said with an almost desperate look in his eye.

"I-" I stuttered and pushed myself further back into the door, wishing it would swallow me whole.

"Bella," Carlisle groaned his tone laced with anger.

"I never intended to visit him, Edward wanted me to…"

"How could you do something like this, Bella!" There was a loud cracking sound as Carlisle pressed his hand against the stone wall.

"How else are we suppose to get out of this, you can't expect me to genuinely follow Aro after all that he has done to you and the coven," I said earnestly taking his hands in to mine and locking my eyes with his, willing him to understand.

"Regardless of what the Volturi have done, they are the reason why we have been able to survive and exist this long. Emil is a deluded, power-crazed fool hell bent on conquering something impossible. If the Volturi find out what you have done they will kill you and there won't a single thing anyone can do about it," Carlisle said with an edge of desperation in his voice.

"I'm not going to get killed, darling. Have you seen how powerful I am? None of them stand a chance..."  
Carlisle shook his head solemnly.

"Bella, you are only a newborn. And the Volturi can destroy you; they have destroyed far more powerful vampires than you could ever imagine."

"Is it possible for you to have just a tiny bit of faith in me?" I asked coolly, casting my gaze on to the floor. "I need to weigh out the options."

"I have faith in you, but this idea is beyond dangerous. You are not going anywhere near Emil or the Valhallas again, do you understand?"  
Where was this coming from?

"You can't stop me Carlisle," I said firmly and made to move away but he had managed to pull forcefully against him.

"Don't push me, Bella."

I narrowed my eyes at him and attempted to wriggle myself free. His grip on me was surprisingly strong and I found myself unable to move an inch away from him. I was surprised to realize just how strong he actually was, it had triggered sense of excitation within me.

"You are being ridiculous," I said, whispering furiously.

"I want your word that you will not go back to them again," he said sternly, pressing his weight against me even further and causing a groan to escape my lips.

"Damn it, Carlisle, let me go."

"I have already buried the ashes of one wife, Bella, and I am not planning on doing the same with you."

When was he going to stop making the excuse of Esme, I was a dozen times stronger than she was. Moreover, I certainly was not going to get myself killed.

"Please change the record. This whole protecting me from myself thing is getting excessively old," I muttered stubbornly as I continued to try to push him off me.  
Carlisle closed his eyes and exhaled, the scent of him engulfing me. I certainly did not need this at this point – particularly when we were so physically close...

"Isabella," he said warningly and opened his eyes which had gone black. The sound of my full name on his lips made the situation worse, and as though my brain had been suddenly programmed to resign to him. "I forbid you from seeing Emil or any of his coven again."

I did a double-take and looked at him in disbelief. "You forbid me?" I repeated in mock outrage. "Is this the new rule now that we're engaged is it? Obey and don't argue-"

"Bella what you are doing is the dangerous and-"

"Lets get one thing clear; I may love - and want to marry you, Carlisle, but you do not own me. I'm going to continue seeing the Valhallas if I need to."

"Bella-"

"No, Carlisle," I managed to say, pushing him away from me with a great deal of effort. He stepped back and surveyed me. There was a smoldering look in his eyes that could easily lead me to forcefully rip his shirt open and run my hands along his chest.

Damn it, why did he have to look so good when he was angry? I thought to myself.

"I won't let you see him again, even if I have to chain myself to you…" His tone of voice did nothing to ease my resolve, the way he spoke sent electrical impulses right through my spine.

"Do what you want, darling, but there's nothing you can do to stop me," I said pushing him back up against the corner wall and pressing my lips to his before moving silently away and out the door.

I smiled to myself as I walked down the corridor towards the one of the main shower rooms on this floor.

I was in definite need of a shower after that, every inch of me was on fire at this point, it was almost ridiculous. I was torturing myself in the process of leaving him, abandoning the chance to run my fingers along his body and experience him fully without any boundaries. A shudder rippled through me as I thought what he would do to me, and it haunted me long after I had reached the shower room.

*~*~*

It was well past the midnight when I entered the spa chamber located on the same floor as my room. It was a large room constructed with sand colored stone, lit in the usual old fashioned manner of candles and torches. There was a large section occupied by a shower on one corner beside a black tiled wall, and on the other side was a hot tub. A gentle steam was rising slowly and the light reflected off the tiny beads of condensation on the walls.

I sighed, willing myself to calm down despite the raging blood and venom in my veins, removing my clothes and scattering them haphazardly on the floor. I stepped into the shower and immediately turned on the nozzle allowing the hot water to cascade on me like a gushing waterfall. I closed my eyes and inhaled the many scents that lingered around the room.

My mind was still reeling over the argument we had had back in our room. The fact that he thought he could simply dictate to me what I can and cannot do was ludicrous – I was nothing like Esme and I wouldn't jeopardize my life by double crossing the Volturi. It was weird that Aro hadn't confronted Edward about the matter but then again he thought Edward was spying on the Valhallas.

As long as Carlisle doesn't say anything we should be okay, I thought as I rinsed my hair, keeping my eyes closed as I was determined not to accidentally break anything while I was in here.

I caught the scent of a delicately sweet aroma on my tongue; it was oddly familiar as I inhaled it again.

"Bella," a soft voice said from behind me. My eyes flickered open as I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and pulled me back against his chest. Carlisle's lips were at my ear for a moment, grazing it with his teeth before moving down to my neck.

"What are you doing?" I breathed as he began kissing the back of my neck down to my shoulder, sending ripples of pleasure along my spine.

"Asking for forgiveness," he said as his lips trailed seductively along my throat, creating a tantalizing sensation and willing my abandonment. "I should have trusted you."

I turned around in his arms and pressed myself up against him. "Yes, you should have." My eyes devoured his figure. He was completely naked, the warm water dripping down along his muscular chest. My gaze lingered there for a moment as my apprehension melted away into lust.

I hesitated and bit my lip sheepishly. When I made a promise it was my nature to keep it.. Another human flaw I had retained despite the change.

"But I promise that I'll never go near Emil without you again." I crossed my fingers behind my back as I spoke.

He raised my hand to his lips and kissed it gently. "Thank you."

"You are annoyingly persuasive," I said somewhat grudgingly.

"I know," he said before leaning in and claiming my lips, catching me completely off guard.

Any attempt to keep myself under control was pointless now. The tip of his finger lifted my chin, raising my eyes to meet his. He seized my lips before I could even consider responding. His hand moved downward to my breasts teasing each of them. I fisted my hands through his drenched blond hair, and pushed my hips up against him. His head lowered, and he began to kiss and suckle his way down my body. The steam of the shower wafted the scent all around me in a blissful fashion.

My arms moved up to wrap around his neck, the intoxicating taste of him had begun to make me somewhat weak at the knees. Water continued to pour down upon us doing nothing to decrease the heat that was building up within me. He turned and pushed me firmly up against the shower wall. His lips broke away from mine and began to work their way to a particular spot on my neck.

"Carlisle," I managed to say within a gasp. He chuckled against my skin before sinking his teeth into my shoulder whilst his left hand moved down to encapsulate my breast. A shot of pleasure rushed through me as the sensations increased, his moved his other hand downwards between legs.

"Wait," I said breaking away from him for a moment. I had never felt more confident than before now, the flames burning up within me commanding me it seemed as I lowered myself to my knees.

"Bella I…" he said in a husky voice that did sent a thrill of excitement through me.

"Let me make this about you," I murmured before taking him in my mouth. I felt the muscles all around him tightened as he let out a long moan. I closed my eyes lost in the warmth of the water and the heated desire that was flowing through me. I continued a gentle, yet somewhat aggressive tentative rhythm with my mouth around him. I felt as the tips of his fingers slipped through my hair, running along each strand in response to my movements.

"Enough." Carlisle moved away and lifted me up, drawing me level with his face again. His mouth captured mine forcefully as he raised me off my feet and leaned me against the wall.

The heated water still soaking us both in a torrential downpour, my hands entwined in his wet blond hair as he positioned himself. His dark, golden eyes locked on mine before he slid inside me. My lips parted to release a gasp of mingled delight and pleasure. Carlisle's lips met mine again as he pushed himself in further with a deep thrust. There was no need to back away now; my arms gripped him tightly as the pace within me increased with a demanding force.

"More, Carlisle!" I cried out, shifting slightly to meet his demands against me.

He groaned in response, slamming me firmly against the wall and gripping me tightly. I screamed out his name in response and moved my face to his neck, running my lips against his sensitive skin.

"Take me, Bella." he gasped out in a guttural voice increasing his speed against me. The scent and taste of him had completely conquered me; I was losing myself in him. The tips of my incisors ran over his throat and I felt a shudder ripple through his clenched muscles.

"Do it," he commanded, thrusting deeper into me and causing me to cry out in delight.

"No, I don't want to hurt you," I said moving my mouth away from his neck and feeling the tips of my fangs against my bottom lip.

"You won't, my love," Carlisle groaned as he dug his fingers into my skin and grazed his teeth over my shoulder. Instincts seemed to take over at that point and I found myself at his neck again, burying myself in his scent. My lips connected with his throat just as he slammed himself deeper inside me. All control left me at that point as the first climax hit us both, causing a shudder to run through us in unison. But it was far from over.

I closed my eyes and sank my teeth into his neck, another rippling shudder followed through me. I had bit him, actually bitten him. I thought as the flavor of him encapsulated my mouth.

Carlisle let out a hiss of pleasure as I pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. He traced his thumb over my lips that were now crimson, stained with blood and venom. The tidal wave of release crashed through both of us, again. He kissed my lips passionately once more, before a rippling shudder shattered his restraint entirely. We kept on kissing well after our climaxes subsided. After a moment, I unhooked my leg from around him and allowed my feet fall to the floor.

He slid out of me. We stood pressed against each other for several moments savoring the aftermath, gasping for unnecessary air.

"You've been holding out on me," I said, meeting his gaze. A sheepish smile curled his lips as he ran his fingers along my back.

"I had to, Bella, I couldn't risk losing control and hurting you," he murmured as I rested my head against his shoulder.

"The fact that you had chosen and trusted me to be the one, I was determined to make your first experience as easy for you as possible."

I bit my lip bashfully; in truth I hadn't wanted him any other way other than unrestrained and carefree. I looked down at his neck and noticed a small crescent shaped mark that was slowly fading away.

"I bit you," I stated in a mortified voice. I knew I wouldn't be able to control myself.

"It's fine," Carlisle assured me with a smile. He moved hand up to my face and ran a finger along my cheek.

"I shouldn't have – did I hurt you?" I asked, feeling immensely guilty.

"Of course not. It was a natural reaction..."

"A natural reaction?" I repeated, frowning slightly as I ran a hand through my hair. What was I doing?

"You still have a lot to get use to as a vampire Bella," he said in a tone laced with amusement. I kissed him once more before moving to turn off the shower.

My eyes spotted the oak bench in the far corner with a small stack of white cotton towels on it. I freed myself from Carlisle's grasp and in a swift motion reached the bench, picking up one of the towels.

"And where do you think you're going?" he asked a few seconds later.

"I have to get back to training, Aro will not be happy if I am-" I began to say but my fiancé had already wrenched the towel from my hands and locked his arms around me.  
"You're not going anywhere, Bella, do you understand me?" he said with a mischievous glint in his eye.

"But Carlisle, he'll be…"

"No buts." He forcefully led me away towards another corner of the chamber. I looked around curiously, unable to help feeling slightly surprised at how large the chamber actually was.

There was a prominent dip in the floor and a gentle stream was rising off a large circular hot tub, bubbles streaming lightly over the surface.  
Within minutes we were both immersed in the warm water that was sending up that steamed and released a beautiful fragrance that, wafted around the room. I watched the black shadows dance about the walls and ceiling whilst in the warm depths of the hot tub.

Carlisle turned me around him his arms and silenced me with his mouth. I met him eagerly as the lust began to rise in me again. Every inch of my being needed him and it wasn't long before my desire had reached the limit. He claimed me again, fulfilling everything my body demanded.

~ To be continued.

* * *

Thoughts? What did you think of this chapter overall? Let me know your throughts and impression, and please be honest. :)

A/N

Is there a hidden agenda with Emil's plan?

Why would Aro claim that Emil's clan were responsible for Esme's death?

Could there be a possibility of Edward reuniting with Bella.

What is causing Bella to resist Carlisle?


	27. Chapter 27: The Tale Of Emil Valhalla

**A/N**

**Hello... again. I must sound like a broken record at this point, but in any case I want to say a huge thank you for all your wonderful reviews. They have been very helpful to me particularly in writing this chapter. I have to admit ****I had some serious writer's block with this chapter, hence the long wait for an update. But with a little help from listening to Flyleaf's new album, and my time off college to work on this chapter a little further. **

**I have posted some new visuals for the story, have a look because they will help with the whole picture of the story.**

**Hope you've all had a good Christmas.**

**And now onwards to the next Chapter...**

* * *

**Chapter 27: ****_The Tale of Emil Valhalla_**

_Time Elapse_

**Chapter 25**

I'm supposed to be training," I murmured as I lay back in Carlisle arms with my head resting against his collarbone. I was still savoring the aftermath of our lovemaking. Over an hour had passed since we had entered the spa chamber and I was marveling over how no one had yet discovered our whereabouts.

"I'm sure Aro can manage for a couple of hours."

"But wouldn't it be useful to find out more about Emil and the Valhalla's from Aro?" I said lazily.

"It would, but I doubt he will tell us anything that we don't already know," Carlisle said, watching the pattern of his fingertips as he gently caressed my stomach.

"I know it must be hard for you, being here and spending time with him after what he did," I began to say "But if it means finding a way to get more information about Emil then…"

"Aro will only manipulate you, and to be honest I don't like the idea of you being alone with him."

"He's not going to do anything to me. I mean I haven't done anything wrong."

"Esme didn't do anything wrong yet she was still murdered by him and his precious guards," Carlisle said with a frankness that caught me somewhat off guard. I had to at least try and find more out about Emil, so that I could know which side I was truly fighting for.

"It must have been difficult losing her especially along with the immortal child," I said, in an effort to change the subject.

"It was one of the worst experiences of my life. I've never felt so much pain as I did then."

"Tell me about it," I said, moving to lie beside him and resting my elbow upon the edge of the tub.

"Why? It's all in the past, Bella, and hardly very important now."

"I know but-" I ran my hand along his arm and set a light ripple running through the water. Our eyes locked together and I leaned in whispering into his ear, "I want to know everything, particularly about this immortal child."

He kissed my lips deeply again and pulled me closer to him.

"Carlisle," I murmured, breaking away from him and narrowing my eyes expectantly. No distractions this time around.

"Very well," he replied with a hint of amusement in his tone. "About two years ago, we took a trip to Switzerland around the winter holidays. While we were hunting around the mountains, Rosalie stumbled across this creature, a boy no more than eight or nine years old, sitting under a tree. It was apparent from the moment we saw him that he was no human. I still remember his face, snow white with deep crimson eyes and golden brown hair. The poor thing had barely any life left in him. I figured some vampire had bitten him and just left him there to die," he paused and looked at me for a sign of a reaction.

"What did you do?" I asked, willing him to continue and feeling somewhat captivated.

"What else could we do? Emmett caught three foxes for him and the boy drained them in a matter of minutes. After a while, he was restored to good health and his fear of us seemed to fade away. The ideal thing to have done was to leave him; the Volturi would find out about him one way or another. But I, along with Esme, felt the idea of abandoning him seemed like a fate worse than death. So we took him in. I could never get over how quiet, well behaved and controlled he was. Esme made a great effort in keeping him away from humans for few months, but he never even attempted to stray nor did he act in the way most immortal children do."

I bit my lip thoughtfully and wondered for a moment. Who could have been capable of turning an innocent child, condemning them forever to an immortal life at such a young age? "Did you ever find out who turned him?"

"No, he couldn't remember anything about how he was changed. It didn't matter, and after many months Esme had made him part of the family, a Cullen. He was a wonderful child, and took to us with ease," Carlisle said with a sad, almost remorseful smile.

"This child, did he have a name?" I asked, suddenly aware that it hadn't been mentioned.

Carlisle nodded and leaned back slightly running a hand through his disheveled damp hair. "The boy's name was Horatio."

"Horatio," I repeated slowly, trying to picture the image of a pale, red eyed boy with brown hair playing baseball with the Cullens. I couldn't help but smile at the fact that, for a short while at least, they had all been happy.

"We were aware of the risks but we figured as long as he didn't reveal himself too much and wore contact lenses, he would be safe."

"But that wasn't so," I said hurriedly. Carlisle shook his head and sighed heavily.

"They found us. Aro was somewhat more understanding than usual and since we hadn't changed the boy offered to spare us all. But Esme, the idea of losing him tore her into pieces and she pleaded and begged them to understand that Horatio was not a threat."

"They didn't believe her though," I said in small voice.

"No they did not, and even Horatio, who had oddly come to terms with his fate, tried to prevent her from getting involved in the cross fire. But they surrounded them, whilst other members of the guard restrained us. Within seconds there was nothing left but ashes and smoke…" He broke off and stared down into the water.

"I'm sorry," I murmured gently as he pressed his forehead to mine and kept his eyes closed, his expression peaceful and calm.

"It's all in the past now," he said after a moment of silence. "You understand though, that I cannot afford to risk losing you in this battle or to the Volturi. Hence the reason why I have agreed to follow Aro in this, to protect my family."

"But what if when we're on the battle field you could revolt and follow Emil's side? That way you could avenge Esme and Horatio," I said shifting slightly and casting a brief glance at the doorway and frowning.

"I don't want revenge, Bella, I never have. If anything I believe I have already avenged them" he said simply.

"How exactly?" I asked looking at him quizzically.

"By living well, moving on and finding happiness again," Carlisle said earnestly, looking down at me with sincere devotion in his eyes. I couldn't help but feel warmth build up within my chest as he spoke.

"I should also say," Carlisle continued noticing my gaze and smiling. "That Emil is hardly a worthy cause to be fighting for."

"And the Volturi are?" I asked, running my finger along the indentations of his chest.

"The Volturi have kept our kind in existence and extinguished any threats towards the equilibrium, Bella. And Emil holds a different view over humans. While the Volturi see them as a source of nourishment, Emil and the rest of the Valhalla's think of them as a source of potential."

"Potential?" I repeated slowly and I couldn't help but realize that there was more to this apparent battle than met the eye. Was there more to the Valhallas than Carlisle had informed me of?

I would have pressed on with the questioning but as it was almost three in the morning and I knew that if I stayed away from training any longer, Aro would get suspicious.

I emerged from the hot tub and steadied myself on my feet, being in the water for so long had made my joints a little weak. Carlisle made no arguments and we hastily got dressed together before leaving the spa chamber relatively intact.

A full week had passed since my meeting with Emil and I had barely found out a single scrap of evidence, or even a clue into reasoning out the whole thing. Aro had increased my hours of training, which I was somewhat grateful for. I needed a distraction to rid my mind from the strained relationship between Carlisle and Edward. On the one hand I had my fiancé who had been questioned frequently by Eleazar over plans towards the wedding. We had only made a tentative plan for the ceremony, but with everything that was happening around us, a wedding wasn't the main priority at the moment. I was somewhat surprised, however, by Carlisle assuring Eleazar that our activities together had been taken with the great precaution.

"I know it is just theory, Carlisle, but you never know. Newborns like Isabella are very rare and the fact the two of you were able to…"

"I've been a doctor for centuries, Eleazar. I know the risks and I can assure you that there are none."

I wrecked my brain for days for what exactly these risks were, but whenever I asked Carlisle or Eleazar about them, the pair of them made up quick and unconvincing excuses.

It was this among the others stresses in my life that were making my training sessions ever harder. My desire for Carlisle was only growing and proving to be an even greater distraction. Every time I was with him my eyes would absentmindedly wander over his beautiful face and figure. I just couldn't help it. During our training sessions I found myself growing more and more attracted, especially since I had discovered Carlisle's other talent in sword fighting.

Carlisle was able to handle a sword so skillfully in combat, he moved so elegantly and with flawless precision. It was this, among other reasons, that caused my eyes to fix on him and entirely forget about training or practicing for a few moments. My fascination was increasing, and it was due to the fact that I knew he was never the type to take pleasure out of dueling or wars, his nature was too compassionate and caring for such things. The preying vampire side of him seemed non existent. But I watched him move effortlessly to dodge a well aimed blow from Felix and defend himself with a sword against four Volturi guards at once while he maintained a completely intact persona.

It was then that I saw the hint of the predator within him; one that demonstrated why Aro would want someone like him in his coven, dueling in battle with the rest of his army. Carlisle was strong and powerful, yet managed to maintain an aura of calmness. He was also experienced, which aided him well during command. There was also an authoritative way about him that I couldn't help but find incredibly attractive.

"Where did you learn such skills?" I asked taking the sword as he handed it to me. I ran my fingers along the blade before securing the handle firmly in my grasp.

"I learned during my human years, and then I had some practice with the Volturi the first time I was with them," he said, walking up behind me and wrapping his arms around me. His hands held mine and adjusted the sword. "Try not to hold it too hard."

I smiled and relaxed my grip slightly. "Like this?"

"Yes, now gently tilt the blade and swing it to the left." His lips were excessively close to my ear as he spoke. This wasn't helping my concentration at all.

"Would you like to practice?" Carlisle asked, moving away slightly.

"Sure, but I really don't see the point of it," I said slowly, looking in the direction of the door that Edward had just exited out of, making his departure prominent with a loud slam. We were now completely alone in the Atrium now.

"It's good to be an all-rounder when it comes to combat." Carlisle replied smoothly collecting a sword of his own and moving it vigorously through the air. I shook my head ridding the thoughts away, and settled into concentrating on the practice duel.

We began in a steady motion moving the blades against each other; the noise of the metal hitting each filled the empty atrium. I wasn't worried about dueling him, but there was the matter of my limited self control I had with _him,_ particularly with my ever increasing strength. Carlisle seemed determined to push me to the edge as he advanced forcefully upon me, swinging his sword relentlessly at me.

I lunged at him as the tip of his sword grazed my arm. The sound of steel on steel was deafening as I leapt about the room at increasingly speed. Was he deliberately trying to intimidate or else extinguish some of his frustration by engaging in a duel? I had to admit I was pretty good with a sword, even if it was my first time. I whirled around and duck another carefully aimed blow before leaping over an ornate table beside Caius' empty seat.

"Easy Bella." Carlisle grinned as I aimed the blade at his arm before slashing the sleeve off his shirt. Control was rapidly fading from my grasp as I danced nimbly around the room meeting the blows from his sword with mine determinately. Another slashing sound and I looked down to see a small portion of my shirt hand been torn, exposing more cleavage than I had intended. Carlisle's eyes were darkening steadily as he glanced at my figure, a smile curving his lips.

"Cheeky," I said, spanning the sword in front of his face. I lunged again and within a nanosecond I felt the handle of the sword jerk ferociously from my hand. The blade flew across the room and Carlisle caught it with casual ease.

"Crap," I muttered as backed up against the wall. Carlisle was in front of me before I even had time to blink; he flicked the sword nonchalantly, and placed the point at my throat.

"Do you surrender?" he asked in a serious tone. I stared at his eyes that were jet black with lust. I was having a hard time keeping a straight face. And to make matters worse desire was coursing through my veins like wild fire.

_Damn he looked so attractive when he lost control, when he allowed a tiny bit of the primal side of him to be released._ His gaze reflected the predator within him, and I had to admit it did nothing to ease my need. I wanted him, right now.

"Make me," I said with a grin, keeping my eyes on the blade. He wrapped his free arm around my waist and pulled me to his chest. I didn't have to question what he wanted as his lips met mine forcefully, possessively. Carlisle had already thrown the sword aside as he wrapped his arms around me. He pushed me firmly up against the wall with so much weight that there was a deafening crack as I hit the wall. Many minute fragments of dust scattered around us. He didn't seem phased by this and as he continued to claim my mouth.

"I win…" he said as his lips trailed seductively down my throat, creating a tantalizing sensation of complete abandonment.

"You had an unfair advantage," I breathed as he moved down to my neck and began kissing a particular spot that drove me wile. A ripple of excited pleasure along my spine; how was it possible that a simple touch he could bring me to such a level of desire?

"How so?" Carlisle asked breathing heavily as he looked at me.

"Your handsomeness is a distraction," I said with a sheepish smile before capturing his mouth with my own again.

A sudden sharp noise erupted around the room; it rang out and caused Carlisle to pause and break away from me. I exhaled deeply in an effort to restraint my frustration; my throat was becoming painfully warm again.

"When you two reach a natural stopping point I would like a word," Charlotte's voice rang in a musical chime across the room. Bad timing once again, although we were currently in the main atrium of the Volturi's lair so it shouldn't have been such a surprise that we had been interrupted. I instantly unhooked my legs from around my fiancé and lightly landed on my feet, staring at the floor for a brief second.

"What can we do for you Charlotte?" Carlisle asked calmly.

"I need a quick word with the both of you, if you can spare a few minutes," she replied with a small smile forming on her lips.

"As long as it's _only_ a few minutes," Carlisle said before gazing at me with smoldering eyes. "We have an unfinished business to attend to." I bit my lip in an attempt to prevent myself from grinning.

Charlotte rolled her eyes and glanced at the doorway, her expression somewhat apprehensive. "Alice is waiting for the both of you upstairs in the library…"

"The library?" Carlisle asked curiously.

Charlotte nodded her head and shrugged. "She's been researching the Valhallas."

I raised my eyebrows and frowned at the pointed expression she was now giving me. If this was about the matter of Esme and the uncertainty towards the cause of her death, then I didn't it really want to get into that with Carlisle.

Charlotte took my hand in her and began leading me away, gesturing for Carlisle to follow.

"You're not going to trace us there?" I asked as the double doors of the atrium opened and I was lead out into the corridor.

"Not today," she muttered almost resentfully. We walked in silence for a few minutes along the labyrinthine passageway to one of the main staircases. My mind was once again preoccupied with a dozen thoughts. Despite Edward's constant reassurance that the Volturi had been responsible for Esme's death; I couldn't help but dwell on what Charlotte had said.

"Why would Alice be researching Emil?" Carlisle asked keeping his hand in mine.

"Because she's been seeing things in her premonitions," Charlotte replied calmly.

I narrowed my eyes at her suspiciously; Aro had been keeping Alice on watch of the Valhalla's actions. So far she had seen nothing but various planning, new recruitment efforts and the prospect of the Volturi meeting them eventually in Serbia.

"What exactly has she been seeing?" I asked as we took the steps two at a time towards the second floor corridor.

"Just something that clarifies what the master been saying all along," she said with a small smile. I raised my eyebrows at her suspiciously.

"Oh and contrary to popular belief, Bella, I'm not just being biased because of my loyalty to Aro," she added likely in response to my expression

I was tempted to voice my suspicion of her loyalty towards Aro revolving around some sort of romantic attachment, but I had a vivid recollection of Charlotte's mannerisms back when The Cullens were at MIT. I would probably end up sounding like an immense hypocrite.

"Could you at least tell me how the Valhallas are responsible for it?" I asked, looking cautiously around the corridor.

"Responsible for what exactly?" Carlisle asked gazing down at me with raised eye brows.

"Apparently Aro has been going around saying that the Volturi didn't kill…" I trailed off, knowing that he would be able to work out the next line of the sentence for himself.

"Esme?" he said in a small voice, casting his eyes away. I squeezed his hand in an effort to comfort him. "I thought he'd given up on that."

"You know about this?" I asked and I couldn't help but wonder why he had never told me, or the fact that there was a possibility that he believed Aro.

Carlisle nodded and remained silent throughout the journey, evidently lost in thought.

_It was obvious that Carlisle refused to believe him. That would explain how they barely spoke two words to each other when they were in the same room together._

"I can't tell you much because – well I was sworn to secrecy," Charlotte said with a glint of excitement in her dark red eyes.

I sighed in spite of myself and nodded, it was pointless to press on the matter any further. Charlotte was excessively stubborn as well as loyal, and there was no chance she would ever betray a secret. It was common sense to go and ask Aro himself, but I rarely ever managed to find him alone. Caius and Marcus were almost always by his side, particularly during the hours of my training.

"Emil's power is beyond the ability to just hypnotize people." Charlotte added as we came up to a large oak door. "Alice has found something and there might be a connection."

"Yes I know he has another gift or power whatever you want to call it, but I don't see how that could be a factor in Esme's death," I said as we quickened our pace and practically burst through the door into the Volturi's library. I had to do a double take as I entered and looked around. The room stretched into a rectangular shape, its walls line floor to ceiling with book shelves.

Alice was sitting on the dark, leather couch in the center of the room, her feet resting on a walnut table that was littered with many open books.

"Couldn't you have just traced her up here?" Alice asked without looking up from the leather bound book she was holding. Charlotte let out an exasperated sigh and shook her head in my direction before collapsing next to Alice on the couch. She patted a spot next to her and gestured us to join them. I did so with quiet apprehension. Carlisle was already at the far end of the bookshelf ahead of us. A small _"V" _was engraved within the woodwork. I examined it for a second, thinking that it must be a symbol of the Volturi. But at closer glance I realized that it was just alphabetical label.

"So how was dueling?" Alice asked, breaking the momentary silence, looking up and giving me a small smirk.

"It was… good," I muttered casually, playing with a stray strand of my hair. Good was somewhat of an understatement. I leaned over Charlotte's shoulder to gaze down at the title of the book and caught the vague scent of intoxicating, fresh mint.

"Charlotte," I asked narrowing my eyes and look her at her closely. "What's that scent?" It was familiar but not enough to be remotely welcoming; it reminded me of something sinister and almost sent chills down my spine.

"Oh just a new perfume," she replied burying her face hurriedly into a book. Alice snorted almost too loudly and shook her head; I frowned yet said nothing.

"Alice do you really think examining the archives is a good idea?" Carlisle asked before pulling out a large black book with red stripes and flicking through the pages.

"The Volturi's archives possess every record of the vampires throughout the generations. It is the only way to get accurate information of the Valhallas." Alice said brightly.

"But it is all just basic profiles," Carlisle said looking up at the pixie-like Vampire.

"Well Aro doesn't like publishing private material," Charlotte muttered. "It's risky leaving personal information of this nature lying around. I'm surprised we were even able to find them."

I ran a hand through my hair and shifted slightly in my seat. For some odd reason my entire being was becoming confused? Was everyone keeping some sort of secret from me?

"So you know about me and Edward meeting with Emil then?" I asked hesitantly, looking over at Carlisle and watching as his expression darkened slightly. How come all the Cullens except for Edward distrusted the Valhallas, even hated them now? Could Aro have manipulated them that well, or was there something being kept from me about them?

"I saw it, yes," she said carefully. "And I think what Edward is doing is very dangerous. If Aro discovers the real reason behind his visits-" she broke off and went back to flicking through the pages of her book.

"He's made it worse by including you," Carlisle said, walking over to me and sitting against the armrest, his hand rested on mine as his eyes scanned across the pages of a book of archives.

"But Aro can't see my thoughts so I am in not danger of him finding out."

"There are others way in which he can find out, Bella," Carlisle replied sternly. I had to agree with him on that point at least. Edward wasn't able to block Aro's abilities, nor was Charlotte, Alice or Carlisle. By some horrible chance I had manage to place them all in danger through my actions, I bitterly regretted them now, however.

"Can we get back to learning more about Emil please?" I asked hastily, not wanting to divert from the topic even further.

"A good 300 years ago Emil was a member of the Volturi," Alice said looking directly at me with a quizzical look on her face. "But for some weird reason he left and I'm guessing he went to Romania and set up camp with their clan," she continued in a rush. I listened intently, trying to control the torrent of questions that had erupted in my mind, why had he left? Did Carlisle know that he was once in with the Volturi? What was this mysterious power of his?

"Strangely, a month afterwards the war broke out between the Volturi and the Romanians. Almost everything was destroyed and all of the Romanians, except Stefan, Vladimir and Emil, were killed" Carlisle said thoughtfully. "And then what?" I asked, feeling somewhat relieved that answers were coming to the questions.

"Then nothing. For a century, Emil lied low, it seemed. Then suddenly he reemerged and became the _liberal voice of the vampires," _Alice said, giving me a pointed look that reminded me of my time at the New Year's ball. Despite the weirdness of the whole thing, it did have its high points, one in particular…

"But that's the rough history of him," Carlisle said, closing his book with an abrupt snap and leaning back against the couch with my head resting against his shoulder.

"So you don't know anything about his second power?" I asked warily. This information still didn't answer the questions about how the Valhallas could have been responsible for Esme's death.

"There is something, but I doubt it going to lay ground work for Aro's statement of innocence."

"Why would he lie, Carlisle? I mean he already got you fighting for the Volturi so what is the point of suddenly denying a murder?" Charlotte asked defensively. I had to admit she had a point there. What point would there have been to all this trouble? But the fact of the matter was all of the Cullens had seen Esme die at the hands of the Volturi. They had been there when it had happened or so Alice had lead me to believe.

"I have no idea, perhaps to keep us on his side and not desert at the last minute over to the other side," Carlisle said shortly examining a paragraph in the archive. I couldn't sit any longer and swiftly got to my feet and, with unnatural speed, came up to the book shelf. I began running my fingers along the neatly arranged books, avoiding Alice's watchful gaze upon me. It wasn't that I didn't like being with her, but she was still trying to press the matter of a relationship between Edward and I further than was necessary. We were friends now and surely that was enough.

I pulled out a book from the shelves and started rummaging through the pages. It seemed hard to believe that Aro actually noted down the possessive gifts and powers of each and every vampire known to exist. It certainly explained why no one could stand a chance against them.

"I doubt you'll find anything in that one," Alice muttered slowly with her eyes still fixed on me. I returned to my seat, examining a small section that had been crossed out and underlined in many places. The title of the name caught my eyes almost immediately and I leaned in closely, running my fingers along the writing.

_Emil Alexander Valhalla 1459 ~ 1487_

_Vampire 1487 ~ present_

_Nationality: French/Russian_

_Abilities: Ipnosi controllo, sangue Possesso_

I frowned as my eyes examined the words. The hypnotic ability I knew about but the other one. "What does this mean?" I asked looking up at Carlisle and keeping my finger on the page. He frowned as he took the book from my hand and examined it closely.

"Sangue possesseo," he repeated softly and still kept one hand in mine. "It means blood possessor, the ability to possess a person through means of their blood…" Charlotte's widened in mingled fascination and amazement. "He can possess people?"

"Only if he had taste or consumed their blood," Carlisle said, staring at me as he spoke. I traced my fingers along his arm absentmindedly, my mind pondered over the last encounter I had had with Emil while I was human. He had attempted to take my blood in for some reason he wished to possess me. If Carlisle hadn't been there, the thought of what could have been sent a ripple along my spine. _He had saved me._

_What is wrong with me? This was hardly an appropriate time._

"That still doesn't account for how he could possibly be to blame for Esme's death," Alice said sharply, her voice lined with disappointment. "Emil has never been exposed to any of our blood, so we can rule out that he possessed her."

"What about hypnotizing her? I mean he could have done it to make her take in the immortal child," Charlotte said and diverted from my lustful fantasy back to reality. I hadn't realized up to now just how much Charlotte knew about the Cullens history.

"She acted of her own free will," Carlisle said slowly. "And besides, Emil's powers only function when he maintains eye contact at all times. We never met him once during our travels or our time with the immortal child."

"Maybe I should ask Aro about this," Charlotte said thoughtfully, getting to her feet. Alice narrowed her eyes and frowned slightly before her features went blank for a moment.

"Damn it," she murmured shaking her head and springing to her feet. She closed the books and hurriedly returned them to their places on the shelves.

"Demetri and Alec are coming up here," I wasn't surprised by this since I was scheduled to be in training at this time. But at the moment I had no desire for anything of the sort, my mind too preoccupied with thoughts to start creating fires and battling with swords. I got to my feet and cautiously removed the page about Emil out of the book, pocketed the paper before I returned it to the shelf.

"We'd better get going then. I don't want them asking questions if they see what we have been doing." Charlotte said, gesturing for us to take her hand.

"Just a minute," Alice said, coming over and taking my hand suddenly. She led me over to the far corner of the room in an attempt to be well out of the earshot from the others. I stared at her and began to feel slightly puzzled by her abrupt manner.

"I need you to know something, now that Emil thinks you have joined them he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. I'm not just talking about simply destroying the Volturi…" she said in a quick whisper so low that only I could hear.

"You think he wants something more?" I asked slightly baffled.

"I didn't think so before, but I do now and please don't ask me how I know. But the things I have been seeing indicate something bigger than just overthrowing Aro from power."

I bit my lip and felt an odd sensation of fear and apprehension creep over me, the dim glow of the dozens of candles that lit the library flickered slightly. "So what do you..?"

Alice raised a finger to my lips and halted me in mind sentence. "You are the only person Emil cannot hypnotize, you are the most powerful one of our kind to date and he could use that to his advantage…"

"But how, if he can't control me?"

"There are other methods, Bella," Alice said darkly, and her gaze hovered over to where Carlisle and Charlotte were standing apparently engrossed in conversation. My eyes widened as a sudden thought came over my mind, a sickening idea that made me feel instantly cold.

"Alice, what have you been seeing?" I asked again with an edge to my voice now.

"Now this all very vague, you shouldn't take it to heart. I mean things can change, look at your fate with Edward that changed and…" she said in an effort to sound positive, failing miserably.

"Alice…" I said warningly glancing at the doorway as the footsteps and muffled voices drew nearer.

"There is a chance that both of them could die. During the battle there will be an accident and..." She broke off and gave me a solemn look of deep regret. I ran a frantic hand though my hair and stared disbelievingly at the floor. If any more confusing revelations were coming my way I think I might just have a nervous breakdown. I knew she meant Carlisle and Edward, the idea of it seemed so ridiculous. There was no way such a fate could come about. It was true that lives may be lost, but not theirs. I wouldn't allow it, even if it meant me sacrificing my existence.

"If that is all..." I made to walk away, but Alice snatched at my arm and pulled me forward letting out a heavy sigh of frustration. "Don't you care, Bella?"

"Of course I care. But this is nothing but a mere theory on your part. It is no different than you seeing me marrying Edward and we both know that can never happen." I turned and started walking away shaking my head slightly and trying to arrange my face into a more relaxed expression.

"Edward will never give up on you, Bella," Alice called back in a low whisper.

"Then that is his problem not mine, If he is too immature to move on, there's nothing I can do," I muttered coldly.

"Please don't take what he and Charlotte had with each other seriously. It was a mistake, Edward was angry and…"

I stopped dead and stared at Alice with wide eyes. "What happened between him and Charlotte?"

Alice blinked and swallowed, obvious caught. "I – wait- you didn't know?"

"Know what?"

"That they…" she stopped dead and looked back at Charlotte for a short moment. "We're good friends."

I clapped a hand to my mouth and let out a shrill laugh that resembled bell chimes. "Wow, he is such a hypocrite," I said with a grin, lowering my hand from my mouth.

Alice looked horrified and started backing away towards the book shelf. "I thought you knew… oh no… what have I done?"

"It's fine, Alice. I'm happy for him; I just hope he doesn't break Charlotte's heart." _Come to think of it he probably already has._

"They didn't sleep together, Bella," Alice said hurriedly, running a hand through her hair.

"I don't care if they did," I said still grinning. Edward and Charlotte – I should have seen it coming.

"Well they can't, Bella. The Volturi forbid newborns to have intercourse during the first year of their immortal life."

"Sure, Alice, as if the Volturi can forbid that…" I smirked and started walking away.

From outside the footsteps and voices were growing louder. Carlisle wrapped an arm around my waist as I took Charlotte's outstretched hand and within seconds she had traced us back down into the familiar empty corridor on the ground floor.

You're still not convinced are you?" Charlotte asked looking at the both of us with questioning eyes.

"There's no evidence to suggest the Valhallas are responsible," I said truthfully, although my mind was still racing over Emil's ability to possess people. That and the fact that Edward and Charlotte were secretly an item.

Charlotte bit her lip and nodded thoughtfully. "Aro might know something about this power. I mean he why else would he bring it up?"

"Manipulation," Carlisle suggested coolly. "He's always been good at that, especially when it comes to getting his own way."

My best friend shrugged in response and turned beginning to slowly walk away. "I'll see you guys later, I need to have a word with Aro," she called back, disappearing around a corner before tracing away. I broke from Carlisle's grasp and leaned back against the wall, closing my eyes for a moment, deep in thought that revolved mainly around what Alice had said.

"Is it getting to be too much for you?" he asked slowly. I nodded and let out a heavy sigh before inhaling the fragrance of him that lingered in the air.

"But what about you? It can't be easy talking about Esme and what happened," I said while watching his gaze. He drew closer and placed his hands in mine giving them a comforting squeeze.

"I'm okay. In truth it isn't as hard as it use to be." I raised my eyebrows at him questioningly. It didn't seem possible for a vampire to simply _get over_ the death of their life companion, even if they had formed another relationship.

"My heart has a reason to beat again, metaphorically speaking," he said with a small grin that made me forget about Alice for a moment.

"How so?" I asked as cautiously as I could manage. He leaned in and pressed his lips to my forehead.

"I have you," he whispered before kissing my lips briefly for a moment. "My Isabella, the future Mrs. Cullen."

I pulled away from him for a moment and ran a hand through my hair casting a gaze upon the floor. "A replacement you mean?" I asked slowly, knowing it was foolish, even shameful to suggest such a thing.

"No," he said, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me to his chest with a little more force than I expected. "My heart has grown through my hopeless adoration for you. There's no division, no replacement. It's like every inch of empty space in my heart has been filled."

My gaze lingered on the floor for a while as I tried, and failed, to keep myself under control. The tip of his finger lifted my chin, raising my eyes to meet his. He seized my lips before I could even consider responding, and I was lost to the sensation of abandonment. I had pretty much mastered the control element of being a vampire and was able to restrain myself without too much effort.

"I love you," I said pulled away giving him a small smile. He leaned in towards me again, our foreheads touching as my eyes closed and inhaled his delicious scent.

"And I-" he said, kissing me again. "Love you more."

"Impossible," I murmured as my lips curved into a small grin.

"Oh really?" Carlisle replied slowly with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Then I'll just have to show you." And before I could say another word he had scooped me up in his arms and moved swiftly down the corridor towards our chambers

~To be continued.

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A/N:

Emil's second power is the ability to possess a person, inhibit them. But only if he has consumed that particular person's blood. I got the idea from a fascinating book I've been reading called; _The Science of Vampires by Katherine M. Ramsland. _

Thoughts?

What do you think is so significant about Emil's second power?

Is there a chance that both Carlisle & Edward will die in the battle?

Why is Alice against a union between Bella & Carlisle?

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Let me know what your think of this chapter, if it was good or bad, and any questions you may have please let me know.


	28. Chapter 28: Dark Harmony

**_A/N_**

_Hello! I bring to you all another update. I managed to complete it a little earlier than expect._

_A few notes on the previous chapter; firstly Emil doesn't possess the sample of Bella's blood that was taken from her while she was at MIT. If you recall the_ **guardiano di sangue **_was responsible for that, and that was revealed to be Aro. Hence, the Volturi were behind that attack. _

_Thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews, without them would never be able to continue this story. They are a remarkable cure for writer's block. _

_A huge thank you to **Twilight-fan1015 **for Beta reading this chapter. You are truly wonderful!_

_A further thank you to the new subscribers, I really apprechiate it as I find them very supportive._

_I would also like to wish you all a belated Happy New Year. _

_If you are like me and enjoy listening to music whilst reading, I recommend Paramore's "The Only Exception" for this chapter._

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**Chapter 28: Dark Harmony**

"Bella, Bella are you in there?" Edward's voice sounded muffled from behind the heavy wooden door. I looked up from my dressing table and paused half way through brushing my hair.

The knocking came again louder than before and more urgent.

I cast an exasperated look at Carlisle who was sitting on the bed, reading a through the history of the Romanian coven. He calmly looked at the doorway and smiled. "I've locked it," he whispered and I heaved a sigh of relief and continued to brush my hair. I wasn't in the mood to face Edward just yet. Not after what Alice had told me.

"Bella, open up. I know you're in there," Edward yelled, pounding his fist at the door.

I decided to bow myself to fate as Carlisle slid off the bed and wandered over to the closet to retrieve a new shirt.

"What is it, Edward?" I called calmly as I could manage. The idea of Edward stumbling on us wasn't exactly desirable.

"It's Aro, he wants to see us," Edward said in a hurried and slightly panicked voice.

"Why?" I asked getting to my feet, and beginning to feel an icy chill run down my spine. I glanced at Carlisle who was buttoning up his shirt. I couldn't help but bite my lip apprehensively, and wonder whether or not Aro had found out about Edward's visit to Serbia. Or had some new development occurred between the rivaling clan?

"There's been an attack in the castle," Edward's voice said coldly.

_An attack? Had Emil and the Valhalla's invaded already?_

"Okay, fine, I'll be in there in a few minutes," I called as Carlisle walked over to stand in front of me. There was a suspicious look in his eyes.

"You cannot go to him, Bella, not alone."

I nodded and pressed my hands in his before he turned and walked to the door. A rush of panic came over me as I watched him slowly turn the lock, and I hastily placed my hand against the door keeping it shut. "Just one thing," I said standing in front of him with my back against the door.

Carlisle looked at me with confusion as I stood on tip-toes and pressed my lips to his. "Whatever it is, I want you to be there when I see Aro."

Carlisle smiled and nodded as I backed away from the door. The lock clicked open and Edward half burst into the chamber, looking wildly around to see me pressed against the wall with Carlisle beside me.

"Get a grip, Edward," Jane said in a bored tone as she pushed past him and entered the chamber. I hadn't even realized she had been out there. Edward shot her a hateful look but said nothing.

"The main reception entrance was set alight, a couple of guards were killed and apparently one is missing," Jane said looking around the chamber and fixing a venomous glare on Carlisle as though he had something to do with it.

"How did this happen exactly?" Carlisle asked as Edward abruptly took my hand in his and led me out of the chamber.

"Someone intercepted one of the secret passage ways and killed Gianna in the process," Edward said as he beckoned us out of the chamber. Carlisle placed his hand in mine and we followed Jane and Edward out into the torch lit corridor.

"The human slave's death isn't important, though I am disappointed not to have sampled her," Jane said almost resentfully.

"They lit the fire as a distraction so that they could get to Aro, but thanks to Demetri and Charlotte we managed to stop them before any real damage was done," Edward said loudly in an effort to drown out Jane's words.

"Did you catch the culprits?" Carlisle asked as we quickened our pace towards the spiral stone steps that lead to an almost dungeon-like hallway.

"No, they either disintegrated in the fire or ran away before we could get to them." Jane said looking straight ahead of us and clenching her fists. "If you had been there, Isabella, we might have been able to catch them."

"I'm not a guard, Jane." I muttered coldly, tightening my grip around Carlisle's hand.

"No," she said coldly, looking from me to Carlisle. "We know what your duty is."

"Jane," Carlisle said in a voice that resembled a growl and Edward smirked, shaking his head with a grin.

There was complete silence until we came to a halt a few minutes later in front of a black wooden door with a heavy brass knocker. From within I could hear the low murmur of voices.

Edward gestured us over to a corner his eyes fixed determinedly at the door. I couldn't help but notice that his fists where clenched probably in an effort to restrain his frustration.

"We'll have to wait a second. Marcus and Caius are in there at the moment," Jane said coolly looking between the three of us. "And we're not intruding on them."

"You need not be here Carlisle. Aro only wants to see us," Edward muttered, averting his gaze from the door and fixing his piercing golden eyes on me. There was an almost pained look in his expression as he spoke.

"The last time I left Bella alone with you she ended up in Serbia with Emil," Carlisle replied in a low, steady tone.

"Do you honestly think I would put her in any danger?" Edward snapped heatedly. Jane nudged him hard in the ribs and pressed a finger to her lips, before casting a pointed look at the doorway.

"Not intentionally. I mean you can't help being naive about the Valhallas."

It was at this point that I had to stand between the two of them again, and hold out a hand cautiously in front of Edward. "Enough, I'm not leaving the country again. In fact I doubt Charlotte will ever do anything like that again."

"At least I'm not a cold blooded coward who stood aside and let his wife be killed…"

"Edward, shut up," I said glaring at him with my fist clenched out of fury.

_Calm down, don't lose it now. _

Any longer out here and I would have to be restrained from tackling Edward myself.

"You are never going to let that go are you?" Carlisle asked, shaking his head in a melancholy fashion. "I cannot believe that after all this time; you still think I can have any sort of influence over Aro."

"Esme didn't have to die. She could have survived if you had…"

"If I had been able to break free from Felix and Alec's grasp do you think I would not have helped her?" The words came out laced with a fierce tone that was nothing resembling Carlisle's usual calmness.

"I don't know, seeing as you've managed to move on and…" Edward said avoiding my eyes.

"I've had enough of this…" I said pushing violently past him and coming to a stop in front of the closed door. I raised my fist and knock sharply four times. The muttering from within stopped abruptly for a moment and then suddenly a high cold voice sounded from the room. "Enter."

I looked back at the others who had cast uneasy glances at each other before following me up to the door as I opened it and hurriedly entered the large rectangular room with black bricked walls and illuminated by candles. At the very end was a wide, antique, marble topped writing desk; Aro was seated behind it watching us with a small smile curling his crimson lips.

~To be continued…

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**_A/N_**

To be honest I was uber nervous about this chapter due to my lack of confidence in writing "lemons." Let me know your thoughts and impressions, the high point (if any) and the low points.

_What do you think Aro has in store for Bella & Carlisle?_

_Who could have attacked the Volturi's Castle? Is it possible that the culprit(s) were after something Aro possesses?_

_Any thoughts of how Edward is behaving in all of this?_

The next chapter is half way complete and should be up by Saturday at the earliest.


	29. Chapter 29: Deception Point

**A/N**

**Seeing as I left you all hanging in the late chapter, this one should make up for it. I will admit that it is a rather long chapter, and I hope you all like it. Just a small note that I will be updating a little less regularly because I have exams coming up in the next few weeks. I will keep working on the story, but the next chapters may take longer than usual.**

**Once again I want to say Thank you for all your reviews, I really dont know what I would do without them. Keep them coming as I really apprechiate you voicing your thoughts and impressions on the story so far.**

**A huge thank you to _twilight-fan1015 (Shelia)_ for proof reading this chapter for me. **

**DISCLAIMER: All the ********Twilight characters in this story belong to Stephanie Meyer. In the creation of this story no copyright infringement is intended. The plot lines, Original Characters, and details of _Beyond the Broken Scars_ belong to December Eclipse. Reposting or Plagiarism of this story in any fashion is classified as theft. No copying or reproduction of this story is permitted unless written authorization from the author is given. **

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**Chapter 29: Deception Point**

_Quaestio nostra est aeterna_

"Isabella, do come in" Aro said with a familiar smile that did nothing to ease my tension. Carlisle and the others followed me in; each of them cast a suspicious glance at Marcus, who was seated on the other side of Aro's desk. I didn't know what it was, but whenever I was in the same room as them I always felt slightly self conscious.

Aro rose from his chair and moved to the front of his desk. He motioned us to sit down before approaching Carlisle with somewhat more enthusiasm than was necessary, and took his hand in his own. I watched in the midst of sitting beside Edward and a stony faced Alice as Aro closed his eyes and began to take in all of Carlisle's thoughts. Every single thought and memory he had ever possessed.

It made it a hundred times worse that Edward would be able to see everything Aro was observing, _as if things couldn't be more complicated. _If I had still been human, at this point, I knew my cheeks would have burned scarlet.

"I see you have told her about Emil," Aro said opening his eyes after a long moment. His crimson eyes were a shade darker than usual and I couldn't help noticing the familiar scent of intoxicating mint that lingered upon him.

"I have only told her what you have allowed me to tell her," Carlisle said removing his hand from Aro's grasp, and taking a seat next to me.

_Allowed? So all this secret keeping is your doing!_

Aro chuckled and looked over at Caius who sighed and shook his head in an apparent attempt at being sympathetic.

"Haven't we kept the truth concealed for long enough Aro?" Caius asked, keeping his eyes upon me.

"Concealed? I wouldn't call it concealed Caius, and besides I wanted to see…" Aro murmured walking hurriedly back to his seat behind the desk and leaning back gazing intently at me. "…where the loyalties lie and it is clear, with Isabella especially, they are not with the Volturi"

"What makes you say that?" I asked reflexively clenching my fists and glaring at the floor.

"Calm down Bella," Carlisle whispered gently, before placing his hand on mine. I exhaled and looked up to meet Aro's crimson eyes which captured mine. I glared back at him whilst trying to control the urge to set his entire chamber on fire.

"The fact that you and Edward have been secretly consorting with the Valhalla clan" Aro said in a nonchalant manner. Edward cursed quietly under his breath and shook his head contemptuously in distaste.

"I was visiting Emil on_ your _orders Aro…" Edward replied venomously.

Aro smirked evidently amused. "Forgive me; but I do not recall ordering you to go and assure Emil that despite Isabella's attachment to the Cullen's she would still be willing to revolt, and join the Valhalla clan."

I closed my eyes as a cold feeling; matching that of a torrent of ice, seemed to be welling up within my chest as he spoke. I had always known that he would find out, one way or another. One touch and a single glimpse into Edward's mind was all it would take. But it didn't lessen the shock nonetheless. Carlisle's grip around my hand tightened responsively as I glanced at Edward's furious expression.

"How else are we supposed to intercept the Valhalla's? I had to let Emil think Bella is on his side." Edward said as calmly as he could manage. "Charlotte was the one who traced us there, you can ask her yourself. I was working on your behalf the entire time…" The words came out in such a sincere and honest fashion that I was half close to believing Edward myself, how effortlessly he was able to cunningly lie. Of course he did after the advantage of being able to read Aro's thoughts.

"If that is indeed the case, then you will not mind me taking a little glimpse into your mind" Aro's hand was held out stretched in front of Edward at this point. I wasn't sure where the idea had come from, or what the motivation was but I involuntary broke my hand from Carlisle's grasp and stood up, standing mere inches away from the king of Vampires. Was I actually going to challenge him? No, if I did that my fate wouldn't be the only one in danger and I couldn't risk that, under any circumstances. I knew from Edward's point of view, the whole meeting with Emil would look extremely suspicious, but on mine… Aro would see a different version a more desirable version and might, just might motivate him to disclose any information he possessed on the Valhalla's.

"I can show you," The words left my lips slowly and steadily. I was determined not to give him the satisfaction of seeing my fear. Aro gazed locked upon mine his eyes reflecting the intense curiosity within his mind. I calmly maintained my expression feeling confident that the truth would never be revealed to him, especially from the events in my point of view.

"Bella, have you lost your mind?" Alice hissed in an audible whisper.

I determinately ignored her and kept my attention was upon the head of the Volturi for the moment, and I didn't need Alice making the situation worse with her negativity. "I can lift the shield and allow you to see everything" _well not everything._

"I would be honored" Aro said in a silkily tone. I nodded and cautiously held out my hand whilst trying to calm myself to the point where I could lift the shield that protected my mind from intrusion from Edward or Jane. It had taken me a good two weeks worth of practice sessions to fully master the ability of lift the shield off myself and had managed to gain a taste of Chelsea and Alec's powers. The vampire's king leaned in closer with his eyes still upon me and breathing deeply for some odd reason. My hand locked around his in a tight grip and I slowly, almost painfully began to lift the invisible bubble-like shield lift from my mind. A small gasp left Aro's lips as he closed his eyes and began to focus, upon every memory, every thought I had ever possessed.

"How intensely interesting," Aro murmured after what felt like an eternity. My hand was beginning to feel slightly numb from being locked in his tight grip for so long. He opened his eyes, now an even darker shade of crimson. They were almost black and instinctively, I pulled my hand away and resumed my seat beside Carlisle. He leaned in and whispered slowly in my ear "Was that really wise Bella?"

"I think it was, it might help in getting some answers to the many questions going around." I replied casually pushing a strand of damp hair away from my face.

"Seen anything interesting?" Caius asked watching Aro moving back behind his desk with a curious expression on his face.

"A great deal," Aro murmured with a small smile, "It seems that Edward is a double agent, not surprising of course, but it is nice to get a clarification. Now I need a word with the two of you alone," He said gestured towards Edward and me. "Arrange the guards Caius, every weapon we have to hand and Alice..." He said gazing around at the inhabitants of the room. "…I want you to watch the progress of the culprit, see how far off they are from Serbia."

"How am I supposed to do that when I don't even know who the culprit is?" Alice asked getting to her feet and scowling.

"I'll leave that for you to figure out" Aro replied coolly leaning back in his black leather armchair and smirking in a bemused fashion. Alice opened her mouth to argue further but the expression Caius gave her from the doorway caused her to do a double take, before immediately following Marcus and Caius out of the room. The door shut quietly behind them.

"Aro," Edward said suddenly, breaking his reserved silence. "You cannot keep putting this off"

"We can discuss the matter later," The Volturi patriarch replied nonchalantly. "Carlisle, you have no need to be here"

"I'm not going anywhere," My fiancé said in a voice that resembled a predatorily growl. I maintained a neutral expression despite the tiny hint of satisfaction that was welling up inside me.

"Come now Carlisle, I'm not going to harm her," Aro said with a smile playing at his lips.

I looked between the two of him and hastily rose from my seat to stand between them. The last thing we needed was a confrontation although I doubt Carlisle would actually start such a thing.

"Let him stay Aro, anything you say to me will be passed on to him in any case so…" I reasoned in an effort to maintain the peace. In truth I would tell Carlisle everything regardless, because unlike him, I didn't like keeping people in the dark upon certain matters.

"Time is running out Aro, Emil has already tried to retrieve the Talisman…" Edward began to say in a more forceful tone that surprised me.

"What Talisman?" I asked hurriedly interrupting him in mid-sentence. There was an unexpected crack and a thud; I looked down to see that I had managed to break both of the armrests on my chair.

_Damn it was I ever going to get the hang of my own strength. I've already managed to wreck the shower in the Spa and now this…_

Aro seemed totally unaware that I had managed to break pieces of his antique furniture. He simply leaned back in his chair and pressed the tips of his fingers together, and I was hoping against hope that I was maintaining a neutral expression on my face.

"The Talisman I gave you Isabella, back while you were in America." He said in a deep silken voice. Carlisle was in front of me before I had even had time to organize a suitable response.

"You haven't destroyed it yet?" Carlisle asked in surprise, still keeping his hand in mine. I was getting more annoyed now at this point, and I had half a mind to wrench it away.

"It is a valuable tool Carlisle, destroying it would be such a waste" Aro reasoned casually, flicking a speck of dust off his jacket.

"I know, hence why we agreed that it had to be destroyed. If Emil…"

"…We are aware of the risks Carlisle," Edward said looking up at him with knowing eyes.

"Would someone tell what is going on here exactly?" I asked, looking between the three of them and attempting to ease the surge of frustration that had come over me. Carlisle hastily looked up the desk to stare into my face with a guilty expression that did nothing to settle my nerves. And if I didn't calm down more than just a simple chair would be in pieces, we would probably end up having to evacuate the place because I had managed to set Aro's office on fire with my mind.

_Of all the powers I could have had, why it had to be one controlled by emotions. Especially a lethal power such as being able to generate fire_

"Whoever broke in to the castle was trying to steal the Talisman," He said after a moments pause.

"Why?" I asked folding my arms and keeping my eyes upon him. There was a chance that he was hiding something else from me, something important that would no doubt led back to Emil's past. I bit my lip and tried to think of some sort of connection between the Valhalla's and the Talisman. I could almost see the memory of the silver pyramid shaped symbol that I had given to Carlisle back in Paris. It only just dawned upon me now that I hadn't got it back from him.

"Because the Talisman contains a capsule within its shell filled with a sample of your blood…" Carlisle broke off and threw an infuriated look at Aro who was now grinning in the same manner that would match a Cheshire cat_._ I swallowed the venom that was building up in my mouth, which did nothing to quench the burning that was engulfing my throat. I hadn't fed in a while and it was beginning to take its toll.

"We needed to analyze a sample of your blood, to give us an insight to the potential powers you could possess when changed into a vampire." Aro said conversationally.

I raised my eye brows and cast an indignant look at my fiancé, who was looking more sheepish by the second. "Did you know about this?"

"Bella…" The words came out in a tired and almost exasperated tone.

"You are unbelievable. More secrets, what is it with you and secrets Carlisle?" I ran both my hands through my hair and glared at the ceiling for a moment. Why was I always being kept in the dark? Surely it couldn't be in an effort to protect me, I was a vampire for heavens sakes and a very powerful one at that.

"Sweetheart…" Carlisle began tentatively as he came in front of me with an apologetic look on his face. "…let me explain," I scowled and rose from my seat with more speed than I had intended. Another cracking sound rippled through the study as my hand pressed against the wall causing the brickwork to crumble slightly as through I had hit it with a mallet.

"Let me guess, you were trying to protect me, as usual." I said avoiding his face entirely and looking over at Aro as he continued to watch us closely.

"He only does what is best for you Isabella, or at least what _he thinks_ is best for you."

"Sure, by being an overprotective fool," I snapped before I could stop myself, the hypocrisy was becoming beyond taxing at this point.

Aro continued to look calm and oddly serene, "I think it is time you had some of those burning questions that have been haunting your mind for so long answered."

Another story, if it meant sitting and placidly buying more fabrications and lies then I would rather go back to the atrium. Perhaps to resume my combat training and vent some of my frustrations. "I have better things to do then to listen to more of your manipulative lies," I said turning on my feet and swiftly marching to the doorway. I needed to find Charlotte and attempt to persuade her at tracing me to Serbia. I needed to talk to Emil again. He was the only one who had told me any truths so far.

"Would you call what happened to Esme a lie, Isabella?" Marcus said in a low voice.

I stopped dead and stared at the door for a moment, an odd sensation came over me as I turned and looked at him again. "She is dead," I said slowly, almost questioningly.

"Yes" Aro said causally, "But do you know why she died"

"You murdered her," Carlisle and Edward said in unison. Each of their voices drenched in hatred. "Along with a perfectly innocent immortal child"

Aro exhaled loudly and gaze up at the ceiling for a moment, shaking his head from side to side in a melancholic manner.

"The circumstances around Esme's death are more significant now then they have ever been before. In truth if it had not been for her then I doubt we would be in the situation we are now. For this to make any sense I have to start from the beginning, but before I disclose this information to you both, I want your word that you will not past it on to another person." He said quickly.

"Aro, this is hardly necessary. You have already attempted to persuade me with your lies that the Valhalla's were responsible for my wife's death."

"It is not a lie Carlisle" Aro replied.

"How can we be sure of that?" I asked coldly.

"Have I ever lied to you Isabella?"

"You lied about Rosalie being dead," I retorted.

Aro hesitated and frowned slightly before nodding almost regretfully. "Yes I did, but that was the only way to get you to come here. Now, do I have your word that you will both keep this information a secret?"

I sighed heavily it was probably better to hear him out now. I couldn't really afford to be on bad terms with Aro given our current circumstances. "You have my word," I said crossing my fingers behind my back.

"Some decades ago, we had a new member to our coven; he was a young and highly gifted vampire, not a few centuries old, at best. His name was Emil Orloftsky, though he called himself Emil Valhalla after he was changed." Aro said slowly, keeping his eyes upon me for a reaction. I waited, not daring to interrupt until he had finished.

"He took to our coven very well indeed, even managed on securing himself a position of being second in command to me. But, like with most vampires, Emil was excessively ambitious and arrogant. He always thought our species to be the most superior and disliked our way of life,"

"The idea of hiding away and pretending not to exist?" I said watching Aro tentatively.

"Yes. He thought it was demeaning, that we could achieve so much more particularly with the humans."

"Do we really need another fabricated story that makes your coven look all sweet and innocent Aro?" Edward asked with ire in his expression.

I rolled my eyes at this, despite the tale being fascinating I already knew of Emil's more than liberal nature towards humans. Particularly after attending his New Year's Eve ball, "Emil doesn't hold the same view as you do on human life. He, unlike your kind, possesses respect for them." I said hastily.

"Emil's main ambition was to create a nation of Vampires, to hold rule over the humans and eventually outnumber their species. In effect break the bonds of the equilibrium." Aro continued as though I hadn't spoken.

This was indeed a good fabrication of a story, be it rather cliché at best. If this was indeed true then there was no way Edward would have ever agreed to cooperate with them, risk everything in becoming their spy. But then again, Emil did have the power to hypnotize people. I sudden though erupted in my mind and I couldn't help but gasp in mild horror.

"Emil tried and failed to rally the Volturi into his scheme of domination." Carlisle said after a short pause.

"Very true and then, like the coward that he was, Emil fled and formed an alliance with the Romanian Clan who were, at the time, the most powerful league of vampires in existence."

I nodded having already known about this from reading the archives by in the library; evidently not all of my thoughts had been seen by Aro.

"We know this already Aro," Carlisle said still keeping his eyes on me.

"Yes and you also know that he needed an army, a strong and powerful one with elements that our coven should only dream of possessing?" Edward asked carefully.

"He's attempted to recruit many clans towards defeating you guys," I said slowly.

"True enough and he know full well such a thing cannot be achieved unless he has the support of a second coven, one as equally powerful as us" Aro said curving his ruby lips in to a satisfied smile of triumph.

"At the Ball yes, but I already told him I wanted nothing to do with it. He, unlike you I could mention didn't push the matter further."

"You are exceeding loyal Carlisle and for that I am grateful. But before, when Esme was alive, Emil knew that you would always side with us especially in times of war." Aro hesitated as I leaned in closer resting my elbow on the desk. As much as I hated to admit it, what he was saying actually made sense.

"He needed to break the bond that you held with us and what better why to do it then by --"

"--killing Esme," I said in a hollow voice lowering my head to stare at the floor.

"Exactly," Aro said quietly. "Emil knew of Esme's one weakness against children so he created an immortal child, and probably possessed him into submission. Then Emil passed Horatio on to Esme, knowing she would take him in regardless of any rules."

"If you knew this then why didn't you just kill the immortal child and spare her?" I demanded remembering vaguely the conversation I had had with Alice upon our first meeting.

"That was our intention," Aro said seriously. "But unfortunately, something went wrong. The immortal child was at the very last minute concealed by Esme when she blocked him from our path. The fire that Demetri had generated caught her instead of the creature…"

"…He did have a name you know," Edward retorted bitterly. Aro arched one perfectly shaped eye brow towards Carlisle's direction and smirked, before continuing. "She was killed instantly, consumed by the flames… The boy also vanished, but there were no ashes despite each of us seeing with our own eyes the flames engulf the boy…"

I shook my head furiously and Carlisle rose up out his seat and took a couple of quick paces around the room, his face in his hands. "Horatio adored Esme. He would never have harmed her." He murmured hoarsely.

"Not intentionally, but if Emil had some sort of control over him then…" Aro fell silent and leaned back in his chair watching each of us close. Carlisle leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes for a moment.

I sighed heavily and got to my feet walking over to him and placing a comforting arm around his shoulder. I wasn't angry anymore, at least not at him in any case. An odd overwhelming feeling had come over me upon Aro's long conversation about Emil's past. I tried to reason some form of a lie within it; but I couldn't. My experiences with Emil and the Valhalla's, power hungry liberal vampires with a hidden agenda. I recalled Emil's reaction upon finding out that Carlisle had moved on, Emil had lost his source and now that the Cullen's were in possession of the Volturi the fact of the matter was that his plan had badly backfired on him.

"You have to understand Isabella that now you are a vampire, you hold the power to abolish the Valhalla coven once and for all. The power you possess can destroy them without even need for a battle." Aro said smoothly.

I closed my eyes for a moment and swallowed, feeling slightly numb. My hand slipped off Carlisle's shoulder and let it fall to my side. We had all been placed in a war, one that wasn't worth dying for.

"Our intension was never to force you to fight for something that you don't believe in right before you can set foot on to the battle field. But you had to understand, to realize what we are fighting for. This isn't just about our coven rivaling the Valhalla's. This is about the balance between the races, vampires and humans have coexisted thus far because of the secrecy and protection that we maintain."

_After all of the horror you put me through by sending Laurent and Victoria after me…_

I nodded wordlessly and opened my eyes as I felt a strong arm wrap around my waist and Carlisle pulled me into his arms. I rested my head against his chest with my mind still contemplating over what Aro had said. _If this was all true then it would certain explain why Emil would want the Talisman, to retrieve the sample of my blood and use it as a means of controlling me. With my powers under his command heavens knows what I would do._ The thought of it sent an icy chill down my spine. I knew the Volturi had never soon the slightest bit of respect for humanity, but if they're own existence came under threat in the process. I could hardly believe that they were now all of a sudden acting like a bunch of rebellious heroes. Despite this, I believed Aro and I hated myself for it. My emotions were in disarray and it was almost a miracle that Aro's chamber wasn't up in flames yet.

_But if this was true then why was Edward on their side, unless he had been deceiving me…_

"Do you believe me Isabella?" Aro asked after a long, agonizing pause. I locked my gaze onto his crimson eyes.

"I don't what to believe anymore." I said solemnly and making sure that I looked anywhere but at Carlisle. "But if you say that I have the power to destroy the Valhalla's on my own, then why don't you let me?" I asked voicing the sudden through that had popped into my head.

"Because I will not let you kill yourself Bella," Carlisle said firmly.

"But if I can stop it, or even prevent a battle…" I reasoned knowing that wasn't going to get anywhere.

"No," was the reply again from both father and son. I settled for quitting while I was ahead, either that or I would have to sneak off with Charlotte to Serbia.

"There might be a possibility…" Aro began placing his hand on his chin and pondering the implication. "Action has to be taken sooner rather than later in any case…" He seemed to be engrossed in thoughts at the moment, and I felt that it was high time for us to be leaving.

"And the Talisman?" Carlisle said sternly. "If Emil gets his hands on it you know what will happen…"

"It is safe, for the time being" Edward muttered watching Aro closely. I knew he was reading his mind. Out of all of us Edward had the most knowledge of Aro, every thought and impression, of everyone except me.

"If Emil had the Talisman, how bad would it be?" I asked looking between the three of them and knowing the answer secretly in my head.

"Very bad," Edward said darkly. "He would have a sample of your blood and if he drank…"

"If?" Carlisle interrupted with snort of derision. "Edward there is no _If_ about it. He would drink it within seconds of possessing it."

I nodded and tried to focus on something else, because from what I had read in the archives about Emil, upon the consumption of my blood he would have total control over me. My thoughts, actions and emotions would be in his power and the mere idea of this sent the wildest rage within me. I really couldn't risk losing control at present.

"But it will not come to that because the talisman is still in our possession, and will soon be destroyed." Aro said calmly and breaking the momentary silence.

"And now Edward I want you and the others to round up every guard member. Prepare the others clans on our side also; including the Denali's if they are still cooperating."

Edward nodded and made a small motion towards the doorway, and after a moment gestured us to follow him out.

"If that is all," Carlisle said edging to the door and keeping me within an inch from his side. Aro nodded absentmindedly with a small frown line creasing his forehead.

"Emil's little attack on our castle was just the trigger we needed and now he will get the battle he has always dreamed of." Edward said in a steady voice of serene calmness.

"If you are planning on invading Serbia Aro, I think it is best if we make some preparations of our own before hand," Carlisle said stopping just outside the edge of the doorway.

Aro nodded thoughtfully, "Yes of course, I need to have a word with Demetri and Felix in any case..."

And before I could say another word Carlisle had led me out and slammed the door hurriedly behind us.

We walked silently down the corridor for a few moments until we were well out of ear shot from Aro or anyone else lurking around.

I paused in mid stride and bit my lip staring ahead at Edward who moving at a slower pace than usual.

"Do you know where the Talisman is…?" I called after him and making him stop to look back in my direction. "I presume Alec has it… Why do you ask?"

_Because I want it back you idiot. _" I was just wondering if it was going to be destroyed or not."

"It will be, even if I have to do it myself." Edward muttered gazing intently with the look of one desperately trying to figure the other person out. "I am sorry that you ever kept in the dark about this for so long Bella. Please believe me when I say that I never intended this to happen. In fact I never intended a lot of things to happen" He glared at Carlisle as he spoke.

I nodded thinking that arguing with anyone at present would be pointless. My head felt rather heavy and the burning sensation in my throat was becoming excessively painful. Bloodlust was back again and I had quiet forgotten about feeding on regular intervals.

"I would like to know how Emil found out about the Talisman and its content in the first place," Carlisle said narrowing his eyes accusingly at Edward.

"I had nothing to do with it," Edward said coldly before turning away and resuming his steps up the corridor.

"Aren't you the double agent in all of this? Surely such an offering would make Emil favor you above all others."

Edward stopped half way and moved back with such speed that an odd whooshing sound followed behind him as he came up face to face with Carlisle again. "You think I would put her in danger, to sacrifice her freewill to Emil?"

"To be honest I am not sure what to think of you any more Edward, you have changed a great deal." Carlisle replied and at the same time preventing me from moving away to stand between them.

"I'm only trying to deal with the situation we're all stuck in as best as possible." Edward said looking in my direction for a brief moment, and then back at Carlisle.

"And being a double agent is the best method is it?"

"It isn't like I have a choice Carlisle,"

"You could get yourself killed in the process, has that even crossed your mind?" He replied in a fatherly tone that was no doubt the reason Edward clenched his fists reflexively.

"All the time, but what does it matter to you if I live or die anyway?" Edward asked glaring at me for a moment before returning to Carlisle.

"You are the core of this family, Edward, and the closest thing to a son to me. Of course it matters…"

I half expected Edward to say nothing and storm off in a temper or else make a distasteful remain about something or other, but nothing came. He merely stood and watched Carlisle for a moment, the silence doing nothing to help the atmosphere around us.

"After all that you have done to me and you still have the nerve to classify me as _your son_?" Edward smirked mirthlessly and glanced in my direction again. "The one thing I have ever loved in my entire life and you had to take it for yourself… You could have had anyone Carlisle, but you had chosen Bella…"

"Excuse me," I interjected poking a finger in his chest, "But why are constantly blaming him? I am partly responsible for this…"

"I can't be angry with you Bella; you've outgrown _me_ and I understand that. After what I did, you have every right to moved on. But you can't expect me to happy with the idea of a union between you and Carlisle, a union that is wrong on every level. But what does it matter, seeing as you are continuing ignoring mine and Alice's suspicions." He turned on his heel and began walking away down the corridor again

"They are mere theories Edward. And please understand that I never meant for any of this to happen, but I cannot say that I regret falling in love with her."

"So you keep telling me, but bare in mind Carlisle that Alice is _never wrong _when it comes down to these things. And sooner or later we'll find out the truth." Edward called back before vanishing around a corner. I stare after him, feeling the fire increasing within my throat again; sooner or later I would need a source of nourishment. It didn't help that I was growing more and more confused by the second, not to mention frustrated by the whole _keeping Bella in the dark all the damn time. The only one telling me anything at the moment was Aro and that made things much worse._

"I wish this whole situation was over and done with already," Carlisle said after a short pause. He pulled me in front of him again until I was face to face with him, with his beautiful eyes gazing into mine. My anger seemed to melt away at the sight of the sorrow in his eyes, and I knew that the discussion with Aro had been particularly hard for him.

"I'm sorry, I understand that revisiting the past is difficult for you," I said gently as I tightening my arm around his waist. He kissed my forehead tentatively and said in a whisper. "Its not easy, especially with Aro and his coldhearted mannerisms but he has always been this way. The only thing we can do now is focus on getting out of this mess."

"And finally get married, then going back to America" I replied with a small smile.

"Indeed, I hope your parents won't object to travelling to Italy for the ceramony"

I turned my gaze away from the floor and back to him again in mild surprise. "My parents? Carlisle they can't come and see me like this, can you imagine my mother's reaction? And besides I havent even told them yet..." I said feeling slightly guilty now for not contacting them since being in Paris. I would have called them, but my voice sounded so different now that they were sure to get suspicious.

"You don't think I would have proposed without having asked for your father's permission first do you?" Carlisle asked with a small grin.

"I - when did you asked for his permission...?"

"In Paris," Carlisle said simply, "Over the phone, granted he was very angry with me at first, but after a good 45 minutes of discussion he finally agreed."

"Is there anything else your not telling me?" I asked feeling my surprised shock turn into disapproving anger.

"No, I promise." Carlisle said resuming in walking back up the now empty corridor. "And now I think it is time for you to have some nourishment, your throat must be excessively painful at this point."

I nodded as my thirst won over my curiosity in a matter of seconds. "Bottled blood again then?"

"No, not this time. I think we should ask Charlotte about tracing us to a forest and get some hunting practice."

"Sounds good, although I have never done it before so I might be a bit slow"

"You'll be fine my love, trust me it is very easy." He said lightly. For a slit second my senses were suddenly alerted to the presence of someone else in the corridor, and I couldnt help but stiffen as Carlisle spoke.

"Bella? Carlisle?" Charlotte's voice and footsteps sounded loudly down the corridor. I stopped in my tracks and caused Carlisle to do the same before we turned to see a rather harassed looking Chalotte approach us from around the corner.

"We were just coming to see you," I said, greeting her with a tentative smile.

"Its gone..." Charlotte said hurriedly stopping in front of us.

"Whats gone?" Carlisle asked narrowing his eyes, but by the look on Charlotte expression I already knew the response even before she had spoke.

"T-the Talisman, someone broke into the secret chamber and stole it again, luckly they cant trace so we still have time to stop them getting it back to Emil, but..."

"Who stole it Charlotte," Carlisle asked forcefully. I watched as she paused and bit her lip, there was a slightly sheepish expression moulding onto her flawless face. I waited and watched her carefully for any sign of a reaction.

"Now don't jump to the wrong conclusions..." She said quickly looking around her in a almost fearful manner.

"Spit it out Charlotte," I asked with a hint of a growl in my voice.

"Edward, it was Edward..."

I looked up at Carlisle's face and for the first time since I had know him, I saw the faintest glimpse of fear lining his features.

~ To Be Continued...

* * *

**A/N**

**I suppose you all hate me now for you leaving you hanging like this once again. **

**Let me know your thoughts on this chapter, was it good or bad. Are we feeling sympathy or confusion for Edward at the moment?**

_Who thinks Aro is lying about the Valhalla Clan's secret plan for domination?_

_Is there a possibility that Horatio is still alive?_

_Why has Edward run off with the Talisman?_


	30. Chapter 30: Satellites of doubt

**A/N**

_Now that my exams are over I can finally update. And yes I know it has been a pretty long while (over two weeks). I apologise for making you all wait so long, but hopefully this will all make up for it. _

_Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews. It is such a joy to read your thoughts, and opinions on this story. And they truly are the driving force that has allowed this story to reach 30 chapters so far._

_And to the new subscribers that I have received these past few weeks, I thank you all so much for taking the time to read this story. _

_This was beta read by my literature teacher, (a thank you to her), so if there are any mistakes in this chapter please let me know. _

_Also want to say thank you_ **ScarCharlotte** for providing some much needed inspiration for this chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 30**

**Satellites of Doubt**

_**Edward's POV**_

The familiar sound of rushing air met my ears as the aircraft accelerated in mid-flight. I lay back in my seat and cast a gaze out of the window feeling the pang of guilt and regret wash over me. I shouldn't be doing this, just dropping everything to go to Serbia on some sort of bargaining notion based on Alice's theories. It was madness; in fact this whole thing was insane and confusing. It made it even worse that I was being placed in the middle of it all, and playing Devil's advocate between The Valhalla's and the Volturi.

As I lay back in my seat and glanced out the window at the cloud covered sky, and thought back over the last conversation with Alice before I had departed with Jasper, who was coming in an effort to _maintain the peace_ between us. I had to admit that despite my gift of mind reading, I was taken back to find Alice holding the precious and deliciously scented Talisman with Jasper, and ordering me to go to Serbia.

_*Flashback*_

"_Offer Emil the Talisman in exchange for Horatio." She had said before I could even open my mouth to response to her torrent of thoughts._

"_And don't try making excuses because you're going to damn well do it whether you want to or not!" She continued._

"_Alice this is madness! We don't even know for certain if Horatio is still alive, and you can't expect me to put Bella at risk like this. I won't do it."_

_She handed me a small green bottle filled with crimson liquid, and wordlessly said. "I have swapped the bloods, Bella's is in this glass, and the talisman is filled with Fox blood I managed to sneak from the stores. Don't worry about Emil finding out that they have been swapped because her scent is still within the Talisman."_

_I could barely contemplate how on earth this was going to work. It made no sense whatsoever for us to even do this now of all times when we were on the brink of a battle. I shook my head at her and attempted to hand the bottle and talisman back to her. I was firmly refusing to do any sort of bargaining or bribing with Emil. Even trying it out could jeopardize everything between us and I had already come too close into letting Aro be aware of what I was doing. Indeed, I would have been a pile of ashes by now if it hadn't been for Bella. _

"_Listen to me Edward; I have been having visions of Horatio for months. Ever since that night at the Ball he's been in my sights, I know he is alive and even Aro from the meeting you had with him has confirmed this."_

_I bit my lip and frowned, knowing deep within that she was right and from what I saw from Aro's thoughts he hadn't been lying either. But Horatio wasn't a tracer, or was he? When I started to think back upon his time with us the child had been a very normal even for a vampire. No gifts or talents to speak of, not that I could see anyway. But if he had been under Emil's control then…_

"_If indeed Horatio is alive then why do we have to go get him now? Why not wait until this whole thing is over and there won't be any need for bribes." Jasper asked his wife in an exasperated tone._

_She looked between the two of us for a moment me with a look that caused nothing but frustration, as if the answer was obvious and we were both too blind to see it._

"_If we don't do this now, it will be too late, once the Volturi defeat the Valhalla's they will destroy him, properly this time and I won't let that happen." She said aloud. _

_There was something else underlying in her thoughts, a name echoing in the back of her mind. Esme. It was then that the realization dawned upon me, this was more than just about some immortal child who, for over two years we had thought dead. No, if Horatio was still living than there was a rather large possibility that Esme was still alive as well. I mean she had died in pretty much the same fashion as Rosalie had done, but the situation was totally different in Rosalie's case. _

"_Alice we don't know for sure if she is alive. I mean you haven't seen her in any of your premonitions have you?" Jasper began to say but she hastily interrupted him. She dug into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a pair of airplane tickets and handed them to each of us with a pointed expression. It was obvious at this point that we had no choice in the matter._

"_If she is, Carlisle and Bella can never be together, everything will change and…"_

"…_And you would have been right all along with your negativity towards them" I finished for her. As much as I wanted my mother to still be living, the idea of it now seemed impossible. She would never have been able to stay away from us for almost three years, especially from Carlisle. We had all been to the Valhalla's, and if she had been hidden there we would have known. Her scent would have called to Carlisle, and he wouldn't be… with Bella._

*

My Bella. I clenched my fists as the vision of the two of them filled my mind and a sudden rush of fury swept over me. The line of thoughts broke from my focus and I hastily closed my eyes in an attempt to rid the fire that was welling up inside me.

"Take it easy Edward," Jasper's tone came out in a calm warning, and I momentarily opened my eyes to look across at the second row of seats beside me into my brother's face lined with concern. I had barely acknowledged the fact that he was even there at all.

We had barely spoken during the flight and I wanted to keep it that way. But the number of thoughts rushing through his head about delicate topics such as Carlisle's situation, Alice and her determination in proving that what she had been seeing was true. There were times when I wished I couldn't read every thought going through people's mind, particularly Jasper's, because every time I had been alone with him all this thoughts and efforts were set towards trying to convince me to move and let her go.

_I know you love her Edward, but carrying on like this is going to get you nowhere. She had already been through enough grief and pain without you adding to it_.

"You know your stubbornness is going to get you nowhere don't you." I said bluntly after several minutes of completely silence were Jasper had continued to stare at me and channel his thoughts in my direction.

"I'm not the one behaving like an arrogant idiot here," My brother stated leaning back in his seat. _If you could experience what there is between them, you would just let them be. They absolutely adore each other Edward._

I curled my fingers around the armrest so tightly that it snapped and emitted a loud echoing sound across the aircraft. Several other passengers looked around in alarm and Jasper cast a warning glance in my direction. Am I not allowed to show some aggression? To show some feeling, or am I always to be calm and collected throughout this damn situation. So much hatred was flooding me that at this point that a reddish haze clouded my vision for a brief moment. I closed my eyes and pressed the tips of my finger to the bridge of my nose, exhaling slowly. How long would I have to bare it? The anger. The betrayal. The worthless misery that had become my existence.

"Do you honestly believe that if Horatio is still alive that Esme will be as well?" Jasper asked breaking my moment of silence. A poor effort at calming me down.

I kept my eyes closed as I responded, unsure of whether I could bring myself to look at him. "Look at how Rosalie was supposedly killed. The same thing could have easily have happened to Esme…" I said repeating the words that Alice had previously spoken to me before we left.

"The situation was totally different in Rosalie's case and you know it. Aro said so himself that she was accidentally caught in the crossfire. "

_It was anything but an __**accident**_

"Alice is_ never_wrong, Jasper. And Aro will say anything in order to get what he wants" I said slowly in an attempt to keep my voice steady.

"Edward even if she is alive do you think Bella's feelings are going to change? That she'll just falls out of love with Carlisle and run back to you?"

I opened my eyes and glared at my brother, loathing the words he spoke. The truthful answer was probably no, but I couldn't bring myself to respond at this point. The fire rose up within me again as my thought drift to my memories of her, the only one I had ever loved in my whole life. The girl who belonged by right to me. I longed for the possibility that the man she was engaged to wasn't a widower. That it had all been a lie and Esme was alive, somewhere in the Valhalla's headquarters. There would be no damn wedding and I would have her again. _My Isabella_. But would I punish Carlisle, my father for all intensive purposes for over a century, for taking advantage of her? For robbing me of her virtue? I couldn't even answer myself at this point. I didn't want to answer myself, because I knew deep down that I would without even a moment of hesitation.

We strolled out of the Belgrade international airport as discretely as possible some thirty minutes later. On our way to the parking lot Jasper stopped by a magazine stand, and pointed down to the several dozen or so newspapers, each from different European countries and even a couple from the states. It had been a long time since I had caught up with the daily happening in the world. My preoccupied with the Volturi and Emil was time consuming and I barely had time to engage in see what was going on in the world outside our own.

I glanced through each of them hurriedly for a few minutes, judging by the content on most of them _it seems that Aro's claims about Emil wanting to create __a nation of Vampires were true. _The odd thing about all these different newspaper was the fact that each was reporting incidents that were remarkably the same, except to the different locations. The French newspaper, _Le Monde _had dedicated a full four page article on to the mysterious disappearances of members of the public. The list had ranged from school teachers, to Doctors and even Military personnel. And all of these mysterious disappearances had been occurring over the past few months in an oddly recurring fashion. Another story reporting similar disappearances had been practically all the others from the British newspapers to the New York times, and even Time magazine which had devoted its cover to feature an article about the assumed secret underground terrorist groups in Europe that were suspected of being the culprits behind the attacks. There were even a couple of reports of a similar nature in the local Serbian papers.

"It's like the whole situation in Boston all over again." Jasper whispered as we resumed walking towards the exit. _Except the Volturi aren't responsible for it this time._

It was almost three o'clock in the afternoon by the time we reached the familiar road up in Carlisle's black Mercedes to the Valhalla's mansion or as Emil called it

_Valerius Manor._ I let Jasper drive for once, and focused on remaining silent throughout once more. We stopped the car by the Cabin, having decided to run the rest of the way to the mansion and take some time to hunt along the way.

"When did Alice say she would call?" Jasper asked as we sprinted up towards the denser part of the woodland, just behind the Cabin.

"When Charlotte had traced her here. Once Aro has given them the all clear, it shouldn't be too long." I said remembering Alice's brief instructions back in Volterra. "_We need Emil to be convinced that we are on his side, that way it will be easier to intercept the others in the clan. And hopefully, if all goes well with Bella, we can prevent this battle and save Horatio in the process"_

_If he is alive _I thought to myself as I brought myself back into the present and continued to make my way with Jasper. _Hopefully this whole thing would be over and done with sooner rather than later._

**Carlisle's POV**

"Bella could you just stop for five minutes,"

"I haven't got five minutes Carlisle! He's going to give Emil my blood and you know what he'll do with it. Any minute now I could be under his control, and do you know what will happen…"

I held her by her wrists and half dragged her back into our room, after Charlotte had broken the news of Edward's sudden departure I had asked her to fetch Alice for me. I knew that she alone would know something about this whole thing. And on the plus side I had known Edward for over a hundred years and well enough not to put Bella in danger in such a fashion, even if he had a vendetta against the Volturi.

But I could barely think of that right now, my main priority was keeping Bella from losing control. Stress was difficult enough without being a new born vampire as well.

"I need to see Charlotte, we have to go to Serbia and stop him…" She said frantically attempting to release herself from my grasp around her.

"…Bella I'm not going to let anything happen to you I promise, but right now I need you to calm down," I said as gently as possible, whilst restraining her from make a run for the door which was now securely shut behind us.

She fixed her darkening ruby eyes upon me, her features had begun showing all the signs of a vampire who hadn't fed in a while. It was this among of things that was causing her to act as irrationally as she was now. Luckily Edward had taken the long route to Serbia and not by simple means of using Charlotte to trace him there. We still had time, thought no very much of it, to figure out what exactly Edward was up to, and how we were going to keep this information from Aro.

"Carlisle you have to let go of me. I really don't want to hurt you and knowing my luck I probably will." she said with warning in her tone as the sharp claws of her nails scratched my arms, which made a sound like knife's blade on stone. My arms hand firmly wrapped around her waist from behind and I had practically lifted her off her feet in order to keep her away from the door. We both collapsed onto the bed which creaked unsteadily upon the impact, under different circumstances this would have been a positive thing. I rolled her onto her back and pinned her wrists above her head to prevent any more scratches. Bella's control was slipping from her grasp something I wasn't surprised at. There was only a certain amount of time in which her instincts would get the better of her. But I was use to handling new born vampires at this stage; the only exception in this case was that this one was somewhat of a turn on.

_Although this wasn't exactly the right time for such things and I am going be a perfect gentleman here. Or at least try to be._

"I'm sorry to be so rough with you my love, but you have to calm down."

She looked up at me with her eyes glinting somewhat in the gentle candle light that illuminated the room and it was as though tiny droplets of tears that now laced her darkening pupils. It didn't take a mind reader to see how much pain she was in with the burning thirst that would cause any new vampire to a frenzy of instability. "I have to go, do you know what will happen if Emil…"

"Edward is not going to betray us Bella," I said gently brushing strands of hair from her forehead, and still keeping a firm grasp on her wrists.

"Why are you so naïve Carlisle, seriously this whole seeing the good in people is going to get us all in to trouble one day I swear. You saw what happened when you let Laurent go back when James was after me"

"Now you're just being ridiculous." I stated sternly meeting her gaze. "Edward is not Laurent. There is no way he would never betray his family or you for that matter."

"Laurent is the reason why I had to team up with a pack of adolescent wolves to protect me during my final years of high school." Bella said with her voice at a high musical octave than I had heard it before, and the memory of our departure from Forks washes over my mind. It seemed the right thing to do at the time, especially for Edward's sake as well as Bella's, but looking back on it now I thoroughly regretted it now. "Hence why we came to protect you during your time at University, we felt you in a very dangerous position and for that I am sorry. But this is not the same thing." I loosed my right hand from around her wrist and gentle touched her cheek. It was then that I noticed that there were dark rings slowly appearing under her eyes. _If she didn't get some nourishment soon there would be even more trouble on our hands._

"Carlisle. Let. Me. Go!"

"I will once you have calmed down." I said firmly. "I told you that I will take care of this. But right now it is essential that you hunt. As soon as Charlotte returns we'll trace to a forest nearby and you can regain your strength."

She had managed to break from my grasp within a nanosecond and had got to her feet, clenching her fists in frustration and eyes burning with black fury. Another side to Bella I hoped never to see. "What we _need_ to do is to go to Serbia and stop Edward! I can always hunt while I am there."

"We can't simply go over to enemy lines without a clear purpose Bella. You heard what Aro said… they're preparing for an invasion now as we speak. If you are found on Emil's side do you know what will happen?"

"So you want Emil to have control over me then? To obey every order that he gives me. To slaughter and massacre and become a monster, aiding him in conquering the human race. Is that what you want?"

_As if you could even ask me such a question._

"Of course not but Bella…"

"…Carlisle if you want to sit around and do nothing then fine..." She had already reached the door before even finishing her sentence. "…But I am going."

"I won't let you take such a risk Bella," I said in an authoritative tone that matched a more parental figure. I couldn't let her go, not at such a critical stage. And despite Bella's stubborn determination, I had to keep her here, even for a little while longer. Perhaps we could hunt and then both go to Serbia as soon as Charlotte returned with the all clear from Aro. Although I doubted very much that he would permit us to go at all, but I wasn't planning on letting that stop us even if our departure was at such a vital time. I was in front of her within a nanosecond and had locked my arms around her pinning her arms to her sides. I pinned her back to the door and kept my face inches from hers. Our eyes locked together and her blackened fury melted into reserved determination.

"Please my love," She said slowly, pleadingly.

"You know I won't let anything happen to you Bella. Please trust me,"

"I do but,"

"No buts, this will be dealt with in a rational manner and you will be safe. I love you Bella and would sooner die than let anything happen to you."

She swallowed and pressed her head back against the door, sighing heavily.

"Okay," She said after a moment of complete silence, and she had finally stopped trying to resist me.

"Thank you," I pressed my lips against hers gently, reminding her of my complete devotion and desire I had for her. _Trust me. _She wrapped her arms around my neck and intensified the kiss. My tongue met hers as we capitulate to our mutual lust. All my efforts of persuasion had been abandoned at this point. And I usually had more experience in self control, particularly since I had been around for almost 400 years, but I had an unfortunate weakness towards her little spur of the moment ire. For the first time I felt like my physical age of twenty three, and it was all because of her. My hand came up, almost of its own accord, to encircle one of her breasts through the fabric of her shirt, teasing it lightly. She let out a low moan that did nothing to ease my resolve. The sound caused every muscle within me to tighten. All I could think of at this point was throwing her upon the floor and claiming her again. To send her over the edge and emit cries of ecstasy. To feel her muscles tighten around me. A deep tremor of pleasure rippling through me as she pushed herself closer to me, feeling my arousal through the fabric clothing. The levels of connection I had with her was indescribable, the intimacy we achieved when joined was like no other that had ever experiences before. She was so much more than any other female vampire. Her strength and courage entwined with her passionate and fiery nature had reignited the something within me that I thought I would never experience again. Before Bella there was only one other person who could make me come undone with a single touch or a kiss. That had been my late wife, and now for the first time since her death I felt whole, and complete again. But despite my ravenous desire for her, we did have more pressing matters to attend to. I could hear the sound of distant footsteps that slowly brought me back to reality.

"You are getting very good at distracting me Isabella," I whispered as we broke apart. Her lips curved into a grin as she rolled her eyes and ran a hand through my hair.

"On the contrary my darling, I was only trying to persuade you into agreeing with _my_ plan." She said moving slightly away from the door.

I smirked in spite of myself and pressed my forehead to hers, a sudden comprise arose in my mind. "How about we go to back to Kopaonik, hunt for a while, spend sometime in the Cabin and decide what to do from there. We will still be in Serbia, but safe enough not to give Aro an excuse to doubt us." It was the best opinion we had at this point, although we would need Alice to come as well.

"That could work, so long as you stop being so overprotective," She said moving her hand up my chest.

"I will if you will," I murmured with a small grin before moving her away from the door completely as a small knock came from the outside, signaling that Charlotte was ready to go. Bella raised her eyes brows and shook her head at me, before opening the door and leading me out by the hand to find Alice.

The sun had retreated behind the heavy white clouds as we arrived upon the familiar grass covered hillside overlooking the Valley. The brief memory of the time I had once taught Bella how to ski washed over me and I couldn't help but smile to myself. This was the first time since I had bitten Bella that I had been out of the Volturi's castle, and I intended on savoring every moment of liberty. Alice frowned in my direction, but said nothing as she continued her low voiced conversation with Charlotte. We walked up towards the denser part of the forest filled with a vast variety of woodland creatures. Bella's eyes glinted with anticipation as we walked ahead. "I've never been hunting before…"

"You'll be fine my love, it's quite simple."

"As simple as skiing?" She asked with a mischievous grin in my direction.

"Oh hunting is much easier than that. But you did rather well on your first attempt at skiing," I reasoned lightly as I watched my fiancée cast Charlotte a guilty smile.

"You went skiing up here?" Charlotte asked breaking off from her conversation with Alice, and looking between the two of us.

"Yes, during the winter holidays. I wasn't very good though. I crashed on my first try and ended up being buried underneath my psychology professor…"

_And if I could have I would have ravished you on that snow covered hillside there and then._

"We had better be quick because _Edward _is already on the flight to Serbia," Alice said hurriedly glancing at her watch and looking around in a somewhat agitated manner. Even though she hadn't known of Edward's motives in stealing the talisman, the way she was approaching the whole thing in an oddly relaxed manner ignited suspicion within me. _This was hardly a minor glitch._It was as if she was hiding something further from us all, but that wasn't exactly surprising. Her mannerism was still excessively negative towards the idea of a union between me and Bella. I would have understood if it had been out of an act of loyalty to her brother, when I had finally come to the Volturi, she had spent long hours persuading me against the idea.

"_You can't marry her Carlisle, I know you love her but the whole thing is just wrong."_

"_Why is it wrong? If it is because of Edward then I understand, but I can't let her go Alice. And believe me I have tried, so many times to stop but I just can't…"_

_She ran a hand through her hair and continued pacing around the empty atrium of the Volturi's layer. "There is nothing more I want than to have Bella as a sister. I mean she practically is to me, marrying her Carlisle? That just isn't right and I don't see it concluding happily."_

_I frowned and exhaled out my somewhat tired frustration. "We are all at risk with this upcoming war, but I don't see how you could be so…"_

"… _I think Esme is still alive," Alice said in a hurried tone, and expression of reserved fear. Of all the reasons I could barely contemplate how on earth she had drawn up this conclusion for an excuse._

"_Wh…how is she still alive?" My insides lurched uncomfortably as I though of her._

"_Because I've seen Horatio, well at least I think I have, in my visions I keep seeing this little kid at Valhalla's headquarters'. I swear it is him and if he is alive then…"_

"_No, no its impossible she's been dead for almost three years Alice, do you honestly think she would stay away from me for that long to put me through such pain and all for nothing?"_

_Alice bit her lip and stared intently at the ground. "Not intentionally, but if Emil was controlling her…" She broke off. _

"_I don't want to hear anymore Alice. This is nothing but an abstract theory." _

I hadn't spoken anymore about the subject after that, the whole idea was insane. I knew my wife, and she would never do such a thing to her family and me. I would have sensed her during the New Year's ball if she was hiding away in Emil's manor. Then there was the conversation later on with Aro, and after that I had been sure that the entire thing was nothing. Emil was well experienced at manipulation for one thing, he had already wrapped Edward around his finger and perhaps Alice as well by the look of it.

The thing that made it worse was the fact that I couldn't tell Bella, and it wasn't that I didn't want to tell her, because I did. But Alice had sworn me to secrecy due to the overload of stress that Bella was currently going through. But even so I couldn't help feel guilty for keeping this from her, even if it was an act of over protection. It wouldn't be for long though, now that we had both managed to get away from the nightmarish hell that was Volturi's castle, I could finally get this out in the open with her. But first my Bella needed to hunt, and I did as well come to think of it.

_Time elapse; one hour_

Even for a beginner she had managed to do quite well on her first attempt at hunting. She had successfully tackled a full grown male deer, then a rather rebellious squirrel and finished off with four foxes. The blood was already having a positive affect upon her, the dark rings from her eyes had vanished and her eyes were a paler, more orange-red than usual. And I knew sooner or later they would go gold and she would become my _golden eyed_ Isabella. The only set back was that she had managed to knock down a few oak trees in the process and almost set fire to a bush out of frustration during the hunt. Now, however, she was stable and perfectly content. I grinned at her whilst half leaning against a tree, and trying not to knock it over. As a result of the hunt her clothes were a little worse for wear, her jeans covered in mud and grass stains, plus a good portion of her shirt was torn and exposing most of her abdomen. Bella looked up to find me staring at her and smiled sheepishly.

"How do you do it?" she asked pushing aside the fully drained carcass of her fourth fox and gesturing to her clothes.

"Years and years of practice," I replied shifting away from the tree and coming towards her. I was unable to remove my eyes from her figure at this point.

_Even covered in mud she still looked breathtakingly beautiful. _

"My clothes are a mess. I can't go and find Edward like this…" She got to her feet and frowned down her appearance. The wind rustled along the low hanging tree branches each in the midst of growing new leaves, the daylight was beginning to fade.

"We could go back so that you could have a shower and get changed," I suggested as I wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her closer to me. My lips pressed gently to her forehead and savored the delicate scent that caused a thousand electric charges through me. "Would you like to go back and get a change of clothes?"

She raised her head and fixed her eyes upon me with a stern expression on her flawless pale. "Do we have time?"

"No Bella, we don't. Edward has just left Belgrade airport and if we go back now Aro won't let you leave again" Alice said pushing past a cluster of dense bushes and dancing over to us on the tip of her toes. She had a large black leather bag in her hand and looked rather satisfied about something. "I brought you some spare clothes."

Typical Alice, always three steps ahead of us all, this was no surprise by any means but it was nice to see her behaving in a somewhat warmer fashion towards Bella.

"Thank you," I murmured loosening my grasp around my fiancée's waist and allowed her to take the bag from Alice's outstretched hand.

"No problem, there's also a hairbrush in there as well if you need it Bella," She said still smiling.

"You're a life saver Alice" Bella replied grinning and stooping low on the ground before opening the bag and examining its content.

"I know," She said her smile faltering slightly. "Carlisle if it is possible, I would like you to make some effort in controlling yourself"

"Control myself?" I repeated walking towards the cluster of bushes and glancing at the hillside down below. This was a new one, on very rare occasions had I ever been told to control myself and by Alice of all people.

"I know you're planning on telling her about the theory…" She whispered harshly skipping over to my side and trying to act as casual as possible. There was a very strong possibility that my daughter, as Alice was to me practically, still disagreed with the idea of me telling Bella , but it made no matter if she did or not. I had to tell Bella about the theory behind Alice's rejection towards us being together, even if I had full confidence that it wasn't true it was still essential that Bella knew. I stared at the ground for a moment and contemplated on how I could get around telling her, there was no other way but to just tell the truth, there was nothing to hide after all.

"I won't keep any more secrets from her Alice," _We have kept enough from her already as it is_

"She is only a newborn Carlisle, if she takes it the wrong way it could be dangerous for all of us."

"Have you no faith in her at all?"

"I have plenty of faith in her, but I won't let you go around sabotaging everything with your lame idea of what is right."

"Sabotage what?" Bella asked walking up in front of us with a peculiar expression on her face. She had managed to change into clean clothes at this point and was in the middle of brushing leaves out of her hair that had become even more wavy than usual. Alice threw me a pleading looking before being to turn away to walk back out onto the hillside.

_It was now or never_

"Just something Alice is working on, it is nothing important Bella."

She raised her eye brows at me and was clearly unconvinced by the words. I avoided her eyes and began a more hastily explanation than I had intended. The basic summary of the matter, such as the assumption that Horatio was still alive, because Alice had been seeing something in her premonitions. And the _theory_ about Esme. It would have been easier if Alice hadn't kept interrupting with reassurances that she wanted nothing more than to have Bella as a sister, and that her fears over the relationship were based on the theory alone.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Bella asked with her voice growing higher in pitch she grew more agitated.

"Well Alice told me not to, and because I knew you would react like this." I said simply placing my hand on her wrists and staring into her face. "Calm down my love, it is just a theory,"

"How can I be calm, when you have all kept the fact that there is a possibility Esme is still alive!"

"There is no possibility; it has been almost three years do you honestly think her existence would have been kept a secret for this long? I have been to the Valhalla's, we all have and if she had been hidden there we would have known. Her scent would have called to me." I insisted as Alice muttered a hurried excuse about going to see where Charlotte had gone and departed out of the clearing.

Bella wrenched her hands away and turned away her eyes glinting in the dim daylight. I somewhat hated Alice for her secrecy, all these months and she discovered nothing except brief glimpses and inaccurate assumptions. At first I had thought it was just her manner of looking out for Edward, and for that purpose alone I could understand. But now, with this revelation in her premonitions a familiar immortal child, one that _"looked very much like Horatio"_

"Alice is_ never_ wrong," Bella said slowly in an attempt to keep her voice steady. I was in front of her within a second and pulled her close to me so that mere inches separated us.

"She saw a glimpse in a vision of a boy within the Valhalla's headquarters' looking remarkably like Horatio. And for all we know of what Aro has told us, he may well be alive but that does not mean Esme is." I said with an edge to my voice that attempted to will Bella into understanding, _she had to_. "

"Look how Rosalie was supposedly killed, the same thing could have easily have happened to Esme!" Bella replied raising her melodic voice even high now so that it rang out across the deserted forest. "Emil could have hidden her away, goodness knows where and…"

"The situation was totally different in Rosalie's case and you know it. I am telling you if there was even the slightest change of her being alive we would know about it. I swear it to you."

She gazed down at the glittering ring on her finger and bit her lip, the doubt still lingering within her expression. "What if she is right Carlisle?" The low hanging branches swayed unexpectedly in the breeze, and the scent of her swept across me in a wave of intoxication frenzy. The fire rose up within me again and a tidal wave of instincts came over me, why on earth did she doubt me after all we had been through?

"Bella, look at me." I said clasping my fingers around her arm and turning her around. She looked up at me with wide eyes that send a ripple right through me. "When she died, the volturi allowed us to collect her ashes and whilst I did so I found something within them that painfully erased all possibilities of her still being alive." I pressed my forehead to hers and stared at the ground. The memory of it was still painful.

"After she was killed I found wedding ring was in the ashes of her remains." _I had also found the bracelet I had given her for our anniversary_. If she had been traced away, if she were still alive, those items would never have been left behind. Rosalie's weren't when she died and that is how Edward knew she was still living."

Bella touched my cheek gently and raised my face to level with hers again. She gazed up at me with jet black eyes and an unconvincingly reassured smile teasing her blood red lips. "I'm not doubting you Carlisle, it just all came as a shock and…well it still doesn't explain why Alice still sees me with Edward." she broke off and made to turned away but my arms had encircled her tightly again until she was firmly against my chest. "You shouldn't forget that you were, by fate's rules, supposed to be with him. And maybe this battle will see the end of my time on this Earth"

Bella took an unnecessary breath and rest her head against my chest, her eyes scanning over the long stretch of green covering the hillside. "If you're doing to be in danger than I don't want you fighting in this battle."

"We are all going to be in danger Bella, and I won't let my family face this task alone."

"But if you die… I can't, I won't survive." She said returning her gaze upon me. I tightened my hold around her and kissed her forehead gently. "You will survive, my love. I won't have you ending your existence on my account Bella. I didn't change you into an immortal to throw it all away for some foolish reason."

"I'm not going to live without you Carlisle," She said stubbornly.

"You're stronger than this Bella, you have the ability to move on and embrace the new life I have given you. Please don't throw it away on my account."

She said nothing for a brief moment and we stood in an unease silence that was somewhat peaceful despite the troubles and circumstances of our situation. "Carlisle I can't…"

"Promise me that if I die, you will not kill yourself."

"Fine," Bella said without looking at me, and instead her eyes glanced towards the small dip in the valley below to where the cabin was located. "Can you see purple smoke rising from those trees?"

I followed her gaze and sure enough caught the purplish outline emitted high above the trees. Someone or something was being destroyed down there.

~ To be continued...

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**Thoughts? ****Constructive criticism and positive feedback is greatly appreciated.**

A/N

A question that I have been meaning to ask all of you, and taking into account all that has happened between Carlisle and Bella, do you think there is a possibility of Edward and Bella reuniting?

Is there a change that Bella could prevent a battle from occurring?

If you have any questions related to this chapter or the story in general please let me know.

I will try and update late next week if I can.

Thanks for reading.


	31. Chapter 31: Disturbia

**A/N **

**Another update, sooner than I had expected and hopefully you will all enjoy this chapter. I'll try and update on a weekly basis if I can, but due to my college issues..etc there may be some delays in updates.**

**Now I have to admit I was amazed by the amount of feedback the last chapter received and to all of you I am so grateful. Your reviews and comments are one of the main driving forces towards this story, and I doubt the tale would have gotten this far without all the contributions you have made in reviewing.**

**Also want to thank** _**IdreamofEddy**_ for recommending this story at w(dot)alsltwilight(dot)blogspot(dot)com). **Thank you so much!**

**A welcome to the new subscribers to the story. I thank you for reading this story so far.**

**Also want to thank _ScarCharlotte_. I love reading your analysis on the plotline and the characters relationship, plus I admire your loyal support for Edward in this story. **

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**_Chapter 31_**

**_Disturbia_**

**Aro's POV**

An odd silence lingered about the deserted atrium as I entered and walked slowly towards the fireplace in the fire corner. Over four hours had passed since Isabella had left headquarters with the others. Her absence lingered heavily about the place. It seemed foolish for a single vampire to have such power to determine our fate but Alice's visions had confirmed that by her powers alone, we could defeat the Valhallas. A small smile curved my lips at the prospect of victory and the restoration of the security and secrecy back into the vampire realm.

The necessary arrangements had been made. The castle would be sealed off in our absence and contained in order to prevent any outsider intrusion from human and vampire alike.

_But when all this is over, what will become of Isabella? Naturally she would leave our coven, but… Ah such a waste of all that power! Her charisma and elegance to be neglected. _For a good forty-five minutes I had stood, motionless, simply staring into the fire. Thoughts and anticipation cascading around within me. _The end was near, but not for us, not for me. Emil will be destroyed and the Valhalla clan will be conquered._

The sound of the door opening broke my line of thoughts instantly. "What news do you have for me Caius?" I asked turning my gaze away from the blazing orange and gold flames of a lively fire burning in the grate.

"The guards have been rounded up into separate divisions my lord," My second in command said in a tone of complete confidence, that was _anything but_ reassuring. Caius possessed an incomprehensible level of arrogance that even I had found taxing on several occasions. "I have placed Emmett Cullen as commanding of the _Forza_ guards," he continued.

_The section of guards with immense strength and fighting abilities, yet lacking in any real gifts. _

I nodded and placed my hands behind my back as I moved to resume my seat upon the platform."And what of the Denali's?" I asked slowly.

"Eleazar is in charge of the _Regalo _division with Carmen. And Demetri has agreed to lead the others remaining." Caius continued as he slowly paced up and down the middle section of the Atrium.

I pressed a finger to my lip and frowned thoughtfully. "No, Demetri is tracking the Valhalla's progress, I want Carlisle to lead the remaining others."

"Carlisle?" Caius repeated with raised eyebrows. "But he hates any sort of violence, he'll never…"

"I know for a fact that he would sacrifice anything for the good of his coven, even if it meant leading an army." I said reverently. "It would be a rather good thing to have him command a group. Just think about it how Isabella will behave at the prospect of him being in command. Her protection will be unlimited to both him and us in turn."

_All is fair in love and war_

Caius smirked and nodded in agreement. "I almost forgot to mention that I have placed Isabella with Chelsea, Alec, Charlotte and Jane in the elites." He added after a moment.

The _elites_ were the highest of our honorary guards with the most unique gifts. They held the role of protecting myself, Caius and Marcus. After all there were more than just mere _human lives_ at stake in this battle. There was the reputation and status of the royal Volturi to consider. Hence, it had been arranged that if Isabella wavers in her loyalty towards our coven, death would follow. Not her own, but certainly one of the Cullen's. _A compensation guarantee_. I smiled to myself at the through and even though it would be a tragic loss, the prospect of such a situation arising was somewhat desirable.

A sudden loud knock at the door broke my line of thinking for a moment. I looked across at the door as it opened slowly revealing the auburn haired figure of Charlotte. She looked around and heaved a sigh of relief when her eyes fixed upon my own.

"I hope I am not interrupting," She said walking up towards the platform. Caius gave her a small approving smile, which she returned somewhat tentatively.

"Not at all, Caius was just leaving." I stated tilting my head slightly to gaze into her flawless bone white face. Caius nodded and, casting a final look between us, he exited the atrium. I slowly outstretched my hand for Charlotte, who said nothing as her feet stepped up on the platform and closed her fingers around my palm.

_The entire scene changed before my eyes. The familiar dimly lit corridor and the outline of two familiar figures came into focus. I watched as Charlotte told both Carlisle and Bella the news of Edward's departure, how he managed to escape past the guards and was now on his way to Serbia. She had conveniently managed to leave out the minor detail of Jasper accompanying him on his way there._

"_Why would he do something like this?" Isabella's voice echoed around me, her tone laced with anger. The black of her eyes reflecting the hurt and confusion within her._

_  
"I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation of some kind," Carlisle said calmly. "I think we need to have a word with Alice and then see if we can take leave to go hunting…"_

_Charlotte nodded and maintained a completely neutral expression. "I'll sort something out with Aro now and meet you back here in about say fifteen minutes?"_

_The two of them nodded in agreement and departed hurriedly._

_The scene changed again, and revealed an emerald green hillside within the enclosure of a dense forest set in the middle of early spring. Charlotte stared after Carlisle and Isabella as they walked up to the secluded woodland, deep in conversation. And then to Charlotte once again, engrossed in conversation with Alice. I was only able to catch a brief glimpse before the entire scene dissolved away._

I smiled and withdrew my hand from hers. She took a step down from the platform and nodded before turning away.

"A moment Charlotte," I said rising from my seat to catch a hold of her arm. She looked at me with darkened eyes, confusion lining her face. The one thing I admired most about her was the upfront and honest manner of her character.

"Is there something wrong master?" She asked tentatively.

"I was about to ask you the same question," I said silkily.

"There is nothing wrong sir, I am fine." She looked down at the floor as she spoke and maintained a firm, reserved silence.

"Charlotte, you need not hide anything from me, if something is troubling you…"

"You_ know_ exactly what is troubling me," the response came out in a rushed and agitated manner. Her eyes were blazing as they met with somewhat of a resentful, even pained manner. On many occasion I had observed her thoughts, experienced her feelings, the anguish and pain that she had kept conceal for so long. The hatred for her existence had its limits and I knew that it could never be bound. On many occasions she had asked me to end her life, unable to bear being what she was, a monster, soulless and evil. _A vampire_. And each and every time I had refused her with no given explanation, except for the fact that if she was destroyed the talent and power within her would have gone to waste and I wasn't willing to let that happen. My mercy was pushing her down into the bottomless pit of despair.

"We have been through this Charlotte," I said after a moment.

"I know, and I won't waste my time asking you again. I'll just go about being all happy and carefree, stuck in the middle of your scheming." She removed her arm from my grasp with more force than was necessary, and began walking away down towards the door. I was in front of her before she had even taken a full three steps. "This has to be done Charlotte; the human race is…,"

"Spare me please,_" _She snapped attempting to push past me. _Why hadn't she just traced out of her if she wanted to be alone?_

"That is no excuse for what you are doing to Bella and the Cullen's. All this manipulating, I can't take it any more. The way we all have to bend to your obsessive rules or else be reduced to a pile of ashes." Her head shook from side to side as she began to walk backwards, edging ever closer to the door. "And the funny thing is that when someone tries to help the situation or alter it in any fashion, you go and immediately ignore the attempts. You still haven't realized that you have traitors right under your nose, that those you considered loyal to you are nothing more than liars" Charlotte said in a rushed and more agitated fashion.

"This is a very complicated situation Charlotte, and sometimes particular sacrifices and actions have to be taken. It is the only way to defeat the Valhalla's and Emil once and for all" I said confidently, "And on the matter of who is and is not _loyal_ to _me, _I think I know when my own staff are lying to me Charlotte."

"But you don't!" She blurted out throwing her hands in the air and cursing angrily. "Damn it Aro, just because you can observe a persons thoughts at the touch of a hand doesn't mean that you are protected from lies and manipulations."

"Enough Charlotte, we shall speak no more of this. There are far more pressing matters to attend to then some foolish assumption you have come up with. "

_The most important matter that was the immortal child. If he was still living, then everything would change. Hardly any coven would dare follow the Valhalla's upon discovering such a thing. There would be no division between our races. _

"Oh of course, we can't over look the matter of you commanding Alice to swap the bloods, persuade Edward and Jasper to go on some bargaining ploy to find some pointless child that you may or may not have murdered? And at the same time I have to lie to my best friend, and deceive everyone else into making the others look like the bad guys…"

"… It is all for a necessary cause my dear," I said calmly walking a few pacing around the room.

"I don't care. I don't want to be apart of this anymore. This shallow, degrading existence that you have forced upon me. Do you even care about the fact that everything I do for you I give my heart and soul?" She asked giving me a reproachful look.

"Of course I do Charlotte, the fact that you even have to ask…"

"Then why do you walk all over me like one of your precious carpets? Has it ever occurred to you that I don't want to do this?" She ran a hand through her sleek auburn hair that simmered somewhat in the torchlight. "Why won't you just destroy me already, just end it now?"

_Still she had not traced away_

"Because you are too precious, too valuable to destroy Charlotte." I pulled her towards me and gestured towards the empty chair beside my own. "Come sit and I will explain,"

"No, thank you. I don't need you to explain anything that I don't know already. I am well aware that all I am to you is a useful instrument in your guard. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to Serbia before Alice becomes suspicious of my absence." she said quickening her pacing towards the door. I took hold of both her hands in mine own. I wrapped my other arm around her waist pulling her to my chest. "I _value_ you for more than just _your_ gift Charlotte," I whispered delicately meeting her crimson eyes with my own. The slightest glimpse of comprehension flashed across her face, as my hand moved to enclose around hers again.

_I am so tired of fearing you, of wanting you beyond my own means._

_You, the one who is consumed with everlasting greed. The symbol of everything I hate and despise is in you and you alone._

Instinctively she wrenched herself from my grasp and turned, moving away from me again. "I have to go" she said in a barely audible whisper.

I frowned yet remained silent, watching her traced away, just as the bell sounded signaling the time had come for our departure.

**Bella's POV**

The smoke was rising higher from the cluster of trees within the valley below. The clouds of purple grew heavier, and heavier. Whoever had done this was being excessively careless, and I doubted that the Valhalla's would do such a thing as this. Then again, I wouldn't put it past Emil to do this. He had never been the secretive type. My eyes continued to stare until the outline of the tree tops had been completely concealed in an iliac haze.

"Bella…" Carlisle said in an unsure tone. He knew as well as I did, that something wasn't right.

"Do you think it's the Valhalla's?" I asked frowning and looking up into his perplexed face.

"For all of the Valhalla's faults, and believe me, they had many of them." Carlisle said thoughtfully. "I know that Vladimir and Stefan would never opening destroy a vampire, they of all vampires knew that many humans hiked and vacated along these hills, and would no doubt be suspicious if they witness purple smoke billowing out over the open sky."

"But I thought you said they were _liberal_ vampires…" I replied slinking back into his arm and resting by head against his chest.

"They are to some extend… but they don't want to reveal too much of their secrets."

I nodded thinking that it would hardly make the vampires look attractive if it was seen that they were burning pieces of their own kind. _Appearances were everything after all. _

"I think we had better go and find Alice," Carlisle murmured, not taking my eyes of the scene. And still keeping one arm wrapped firmly around each other's waists, we moved quickly back down the overgrown forest pathway, following Alice's scent.

It wasn't long before we found her and Charlotte sitting cross legged in the grass. And it was clear from the first glance that something was horribly wrong.

"They were ambushed," Alice voice came out in a slightly muffled tone. "Damn it I should have seen this coming."

Charlotte had both her arms around Alice's shoulders as she stared with a vacant expression out over the forest. Neither of them made any acknowledgement of our presents, and instinctively Carlisle stopped in his tracks. He pressed a finger to his lips as I gave a quizzical look and waited, still listening to the unaware Charlotte and Alice.

"Wait, are you telling me that the purple smoke over there is coming from Edward and Jasper burning remains?" Charlotte asked in a voice not masking her surprise.

Alice hastily turned around and stared at the sight of the smoky line. She let out a low moan and buried her face in her hands. I watched as she rocked backwards and forwards in her seated position in the grass. "This wasn't supposed to happen!" The words came out in a mixture of anguish and fury.

_But they couldn't be dead surely, Emil wouldn't have…_

"Alice," Charlotte said in a low whisper. "Are they…?" she couldn't bring her say to way the thought that had started echoing around my mind.

"No, they're not. Jasper and Edward were experienced enough to handle it, but… oh I should never have left the veil with Jasper."

"But I thought Emil was under the impression that Edward and the others were on his side, why on earth would he attack them…?"

"It wasn't to kill them Charlotte," Alice said hastily as sharp breeze rustled the leaves from the low hanging tree branches and set her voice more muffled than before. "He must have found out about the bargaining ploy. And knew full well what it would mean if it were revealed that Horatio was still alive. I doubt any clans would follow him if they had found out what he had done, creating an immortal child? Imagine the scandal! Not even the Denali's would tolerate that."

A small part of me wanted to smile with joy at the prospect, but then the dawning reality of what it would mean if he was came over me. He would be doomed all over again, the Volturi would definitely kill him this time, and I doubted very much if Emil had allowed him to keep his _vegetarian _diet.

"I did warn Aro that he had a traitor within his coven" Charlotte shook her head disapprovingly.

"That doesn't matter now, what matters is that one of those bastard guards has got the sample of Bella's blood!" Alice said in a frantic tone, her hands clasped Charlotte shoulders as she shook them slightly.

I had heard enough at this point and aimed to dart forward with full intention of confronting Alice for the more revealed secrets, lies and confusion that was engulfing the situation. And we couldn't just keep eaves dropping on the pair of them. As I moved I felt Carlisle tighten his grip around my waist, he held me back against him. "Wait," He whispered and gently touched my ear lobe with his lips. The aroma of him sent a rush of fire along my spine, and I immediately felt myself calm down a little.

"Carlisle, we can't just let…" I said in an excessively low moan that only he could hear.

"Just wait a few more minutes my love."

"How did this happen exactly?" Charlotte asked breaking her momentarily silence.

"During the brief battle, one of the guards found the veil. Jasper and Edward were distracted with the other guards and so he managed to get away and now…" Alice broke off and hurriedly got to her feet in a panic.

"Any moment now it will reach Emil. But I doubt Edward and Jasper will stop him…"

"So it looks like we are going to have to go, and stop the worst from happening." Charlotte said as she stood up. "Kind of Ironic isn't it, considering that this was what we had led the other two to believe when we came here."

Alice glared at her and began walking around in a circle, her fingers hurriedly typing away at her cell phone. Was now really the time to be doing such things as playing around on such things? "If Emil takes the blood we haven't got a chance of winning this. I think the only way to sort it out is if Bella and you go. Carlisle and I can stay here and wait for the Volturi. No doubt Aro was about to set off the last time you saw him."

She nodded and quickly turned to walk towards the clearing in which she thought we were still in. It was then that I emerged still held in Carlisle's tight grasp over my arm as I attempted to charge forward again. "Just take it easy Bella."

"I'm trying," I said through gritted teeth. "Charlotte… please tell me I misheard everything that you two just said"

"No you have heard correctly, Alice has screwed up big time. And Emil is only minutes away from getting a sample of your blood." Charlotte stated.

"I am so sorry for this Bella. I don't know why I didn't see this coming." Alice said and she did genuinely look horrified. A part of me wanted to believe her, but a mistake like this was nothing like she had ever done before.

"Please save it Alice," Carlisle replied in an exasperated tone.

"I think if I just trace us there it will be better," Charlotte said as Bella came up to her with a sheepish glance at over in the direction of the smoke that apparently was caused by the burning of some of Emil's guards. That wasn't exactly surprising seeing as both Edward and Jasper were experienced in combat.

"Fine," I whispered as she came up in front of me. The idea of leaving Carlisle here alone, unprotected and out of reach from me wasn't exactly a happy one, but what other choice did I have. "I won't be long," My hand closed around his own as I raised it to my lips and kissed it gently. "Bella wait…" Carlisle began to say, keeping a firm grasp of my hand.

"You said you would stop being so overprotective," I said in an anguished tone. His eyes looked pleadingly into mine again, why did he always insist in making things so difficult? If this was the only way of preventing a disaster than why continue the negativity. I raised face up inching from his laced with anguish. I could tell that it wasn't because he didn't trust me; we had been through far too much for him not to. And I was more than able for Emil and the Valhalla's, but to be apart from him, in a time like this… The thought of it was unbearable. I couldn't function or think in a correct fashion if he was left behind, alone to battle the unknown.

"We really don't have time for this Carlisle," Charlotte said from behind us. I continued to looking into my fiancé's eyes, and began momentarily unaware of anyone else's presence.

"I can handle this," I assured him moving an inch closer. "Just keep yourself safe and don't worry about me…"

Carlisle smiled almost sadly and touched my cheek with the tips of his fingers. "Isabella every atom within you is as dear to me as is my own. And it is not out of some ridiculous notion that you cannot look after yourself or that as a man I have to protect you all the time. No, it is only because I cannot bear to be without you, when you're gone the pieces of myself are missing_. _Call it irrational or whatever you will, but I would much rather be at your side than remain here…_" _He said cupping my cheek in his hand. I wrapped my arms around his waist protectively. My eyes had begun to feel rather moist for some odd reason, probably because of the venom.

"I love you so much, but I need you to stay here…" I began to say.

"…Emil cannot harm me Bella, not when I have you to protect me."

"The man has a point Bella," Charlotte's voice almost seemed far way at this point. I broke my gaze from Bella and looked over at her, and then at Alice who was looking somewhat worse for wear. "Can you decide please, because we really need to go now"

"Carlisle if it all goes wrong, and I should fall under Emil's control lord knows what I will do. I won't be myself; I'll be a monster and remain one until he is destroyed. And that is why I cannot risk you coming. All it will do is put you in danger." I raised myself up on the tip of my toes and wrapped my arms around his neck, capturing his lips. His met my mouth with so much force and passion, that I could barely resist, yet alone think coherently. I was utterly lost to his intoxicating flavor and made no attempt to persuade him further for I knew it would be pointless.

"Be safe Bella," He said, pressing his forehead to mine and kissing me one final time. I broke way, and swiftly ran toward Charlotte's outstretched hand, and tried very hard not to gazed back at him, but i did, and felt an odd shudder run through my chest as I did so. And then the tracing sensation came over me and the hillside vanished before my eyes.

_The Volturi were coming and sooner or later the onset of battle would be upon us, and the final challenge of this whole situation would be set into motion._

"There they are" Charlotte said in a whisper so low that it was barely audible to me. We had managed to trace right into the entrance hall of the vaguely familiar Valhalla lair. I had moved Charlotte hastily into the side corner just beside the door that led into the great ball room where I had once spent New Years Eve. The memory of the events of the party rushed over me for a brief moment, and I couldn't help but smiled in spite of myself. _The balcony…._

The sound of many voices emitted out from the door that had been left semi agar and I could just make out Edward's velvet tone.

"It was never my intention to deceive you Emil," He insisted in a less than convincing manner.

"Do not lie Edward. You have never been any good at it." Stefan's thick Romanian accent sounded past the doorway. "Your intention was to sabotage our plans in destroying the Volturi…."

Emil's familiar chuckle echoed about the entire hall and I instinctively leaned in closer, keeping Charlotte beside me.

"Stefan, my friend, there is no need to go into all that now. We have the vital ingredient for our victory and as soon as the blood has been consumed we shall join our brothers and sisters on the hillside. Isabella will bring such more power than the entire race of vampires put to together."

_This guy was worse than Aro_

"You know I wanted to Volturi destroyed more than anyone," Edward said through what sounded like gritted teeth.

I heard the distinct sound of glass being tapped, which was closely followed by Jasper's cursing protests.

"Bella we have to do something now!" Charlotte whispered, pushing me to go more forward.

_What on earth could I do? Charging into the room wouldn't work. And neither would us tracing in and launching a tackle on to him. Goodness knows how many guards were in there._

"Such a delicious aroma… I am surprised Carlisle was able to resist draining her dry," Emil taunted.

"Get on with it Emil, we are running out of time and we need to deploy the rest of the guards out onto the hillside…" Stefan said coldly.

_The rest of the guards? Did that mean that there were already some on the hillside, just waiting to ambush upon Alice and Carlisle…? What if they did before the Volturi got there? Carlisle and Alice would be out numbered and then…_

"Bella what the hell are you doing?!" Charlotte nudged me very hard in the ribs and I winced, turning to gaze at her furious expression.

"What? I am trying to see what Emil is doing, just give me a…"

"You've set the floor on fire again." Charlotte stated and pointed down to a small spot on the floor merely inches from my shoes.

_Damn it. I need to control myself, or else I'll end up setting the whole place on fire and…_

The idea hit me like an alpha particle colliding elastically with the nucleus of a gold atom. _Fire._ If I could manage to get a clear view of Emil through that door without being seen then I could stop him, set fire the veil before he consumed its content.

"Charlotte, I need you to do me a favor." I said in a hurried whisper. She said nothing, but mere gave me a pointed _what is it? _expression on her face.

"Trace to every room in this mansion and see if you can find a child, about 8 or 10 years old"

"You want me to find a child in this place? Bella why would…" Charlotte began to say.

"Please Charlotte I really don't have time to explain." _We couldn't leave the mansion house yet, not until this supposed immortal child had been found._

Charlotte sighed and shrugged her shoulders before immediately vanishing on the spot. I hurriedly walked up to the edge of the door to get a better look. It was by some miracle that Emil was standing directly opposite the gap, a good distance away in the brightly lit ballroom. He was twirling a glinting object in his fingers and still speaking to Edward and Jasper in an evidently bemused fashion.

"I do regret that I didn't get a change to consume this _directly _from the source, but I guess this will just have to do." He said calmly.

_Arrogant son of a…_

"Just answer us one thing…" Jasper said in his smooth southern accent, laced with hatred. "Why are you doing this? Bella has already agreed to work with you, we all have… there is no need for this."

Another malicious laugh echoed about the room. "Mr. Hale do you honestly think I _was born_ yesterday? That I don't know you have all been researching on my past and uncovering the _true motives_?" He flashed them a sympathetic smile and shook his head. "I knew better than to just take your word for it. And besides, I have sacrificed a great deal in order to bring your coven on to my side. Isabella was just a bonus, I had never even considered her until Carlisle introduced me to her last winter. Her powers were just what we need for an easy victory."

"Bella will never be part of your scheme Emil, if you threaten her loved ones in the process," Edward muttered loudly.

"And that, my dear Edward, is why I had to invest in a back-up." Emil waved the veil in front of Edward's face and smirked.

_Maybe I could just set Emil on fire as well? _

I focused my eyes on the glass object in his hand, and began to concentrate, channeling my emotions to fuel the fire that had begun to rise up within me.

"I nearly lost that back up, if it hadn't been for my vital allies within the Volturi's coven." And this time I heard Stefan chuckle and a couple of others that must have been the guards. _Nice to see they think this whole thing is so amusing. _

I closed out any sounds and focused, attempting to maintain a firm concentration upon the glass. My throat was on fire now and I could almost feel my shield contracting around me, releasing the flames… Nothing happened. I needed to think of something, anything that would set me off.

Emil uncorked the veil and inhaled the scent one final time; he sighed and raised the veil slowly to his lips. Still no fire came. _Damn it, this was not the time for a malfunction_. I screwed my eyes almost closed and kept the on the veil, ignoring the shouts and cries of Edward and Jasper evidently attempting to resist their bonds.

The seconds turned into minutes, and the minutes felt like hours. Everything seem to be running in slow motion, I watched the horror filling me as the bottle came closer and closer to Emil's mouth.

"Come on Bella," I whispered to myself. But it was no use, there was nothing, no fire, no overwhelming emotions cascading over me, nothing. I couldn't do it.

_Isabella, every atom within you is as dear to me as is my own. _

The voice, Carlisle's voice was in my head, as though the very air had carried the memory to me. I concentrated on it, seeing as I usually ignited things into wide flames upon contact with them, especially when I was with Carlisle.

_Every inch of you I love more than you will ever know. _

It was definitely having some effect, I continued to stare at the glass veil, mere inches from reaching Emil's lips.

_You alone have my heart and my soul, damned though it may be_.

Almost there, just one more memory, one more triggers. I snapped my eyes shut for a split second, causing an image of his face to erupt in my mind.

_Our time in the Spa Chamber_

And then it happened, the flames flashed before my eyes as every fiber of my being started to burn. There was a sudden rushing sound followed by an anguished cry of pain, shock and maybe disappointment?

I opened my eyes just in time to see the flames embrace the glass veil held in Emil's hand. He gave a yelp of pain and dropped the bottle now completed concealed within the fire. The glass and its content were now dissolving away into nothingness. I knew that by the vague scent of burnt blood and glass lingering around the room.

Emil swore viciously under his breath as the rest of the guards immediately started towards the doorway. I didn't waste any time in turning on my heel and bursting through the doorway.

"Seize her!" Stefan cried loudly as I attempted to dodge a good half a dozen guards as they flung themselves at me from all sides. Unfortunately I ended up crashing into the stone wall with a crunch. A good amount of dust fell on my head in the process. Three guards pulled me up by my arms and had dragged me over to where Emil was standing, it all happened so fast that I barely had time to even blink.

"Isabella," Emil said grimly looking down at me. There was no smile on his face now, and his hand was half concealed in the sleeve of his black jacket.

"Let me her go Emil" Edward cried out wrestling with his captor. I raised my eyes to look up at the Valhalla Patriarch and winced slightly as the guard dug his fingernails into my shoulder.

Emil chuckled and shook his head. "And let _her_ sabotage our plans? I hardly think so."

"I'm warning you let me go or I will set this entire room on fire." I threatened half wrestling with the guards in an effort to free myself. My right foot kicked out hard and sent one of them flying onto the floor, whilst the other tried to wrestle me down onto my knees.

"And if you do I will make sure that your dear lover is ripped limb from limb upon on that hillside…" Emil whispered leaning down and pressing his lips to my near.

I paused in my struggling and stared at him wide eyes. "You wouldn't dare…" I said furiously, but it was somewhat difficult to conceal the dreaded feeling that had erupted in my stomach.

"Oh wouldn't I? At this very moment I have sent half of our entire guard up around that hillside, each of them scattered in particular positions just waiting to ambush the Volturi. One wrong move Isabella and I will set them on both Alice and Carlisle…"

A ripple of fear came over me as he spoke. I didn't need to think twice about the answer. But if I were to follow his clan, then I would in effect be supporting his supposed desire to out number the human race. At that very moment a vivid echo of Aro's words sounded within my mind.

_Emil's main ambition was to create a nation of Vampires, to hold rule over the humans and eventually outnumber their species. In effect break the bonds of the equilibrium._

I couldn't support such a motive, not when the humans were at risk of becoming either slaves or condemned to a life as a vampire. I thought back to Charlie and Renee having to face the reality of a deadly realm. A realm that Aro and the Volturi, despite their faults, had kept a secret for centuries.

_Alice said the Volturi were on their way, she had seen them in her visions. No doubt she would know about the Valhalla guards being scattered around the hillside, especially if Emil had already decided upon it already._

"I gave you my word Isabella that if you follow us the Cullen clan would be kept safe," Emil said in a gentler tone.

"You just tried to consume my blood in an attempt to possess me," I said indignantly.

"It would have been for your own good Isabella,"

_This was completely insane_

"With the Volturi gone, we have the chance to live in a better world. One was our kind no longer have to live in the shadows and be ashamed of what we are." Stefan replied looking over at the doorway.

"No more secrets, Vampire and Human, living as one." Emil added with a confident smile. "The Volturi, or should I say Aro, have never appreciated the strength and potential our kind possess. The power and influence that we hold is being wasted, whilst we let the humans rule over us and in fear keep us hidden away."

_If the vampires were exposed to the world it could lead to a global panic. And I would rather die than see that happen. _

"I see that we are going to have to do this the hard way…" Emil said, nodding to the remaining guard to release his hold on me. The cluster of guards moved to where Edward and Jasper were they had remained due to the tight grip Stefan and Vladimir had around their necks. I struggled with myself for a couple of seconds, although it felt like minutes. _Do or Die… Carlisle would die. We would all die if I didn't act now._

I closed my eyes and allowed the fire to consume me again. It was easier this time because my emotions were already in such a state that I didn't need to imagine Carlisle's voice. A mere nanosecond later I opened my eyes to see a ring of flames erupted from the floor, and the entire scene dissolved in the heat of the fire.

…To be continued.

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**A/N**

Thoughts? Please be honest, I really do apprechiate hearing your opinions on the chapters. What did you think of Aro's POV? I actually wrote it after seeing the New Moon movie in the theater but hadnt found a suitable place to put in, until now.

A few (optional) questions...

Who could the traitor to the Volturi guard be?

What is Charlotte hiding from Aro / The Volturi?

Is there a chance that Horatio is hiding in the mansion?


	32. Chapter 32: Passions Killing Floor

**A/N**

**DISCLAIMER (I keep forgetting to put this on my chapters): I am not S. Meyer all characters, (except for three I have invented) belong to her. **

**Credit to the wonderful twilight-fan1015 for proof-reading the chapter.**

**A huge thank you to ScarCharlotte for inspiring me yet again for this chapter. And to StormDragonFly & Ithappened for helping me in solving my problem with my uploading problem.**

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Chapter 32: Passions Killing Floor

Bella's POV

The fire encircled the room, sending a wave of warmth around us all. Death was on the horizon. I could smell it, even taste it on the tip of my tongue.

My eyes could see nothing but red. The entire room was drenched in a crimson haze. My body was trembling for reasons I couldn't explain.

I raised my hand and slowly guided it over the flames, encircling the spot where Stefan stood, completely trapped by the fire. Every ounce of self control I had was melting away like icicles in the sun.

"Bella…" Edward began to say in a warning tone that seemed to resemble a distant echo. All rational thought had completely left me as I lowered myself into a crouching position and slowly began moving around them. The idea of destroying another being had vaguely crossed my mind before, during my training sessions with the Volturi guards. But now I could think of nothing else; the animalistic instincts had completely taken over me. I closed my eyes, expanding the flames around the room, consuming one of the guards that stood firmly in front of the three Valhalla leaders. I didn't even hear their screams as they attempted to flee.

There was fear in Emil's eyes now and I couldn't help but feel somewhat satisfied by this. _Foolish coward_.

My eyes flickered open just in time to see a dozen or so guards spring upon me. A snarl left my lips as I pounced upon them, throwing a couple of them back across the room. They hit the stone wall which cracked loudly and a mixture of dust and rubble went flying in all directions.

"Stop her!" I heard Emil cry out, as Jasper and Edward broke free from their bonds and came to aid in the fight. The flames devoured another guard just as their limp figure hit the floor.

I felt the sharp blow of claws upon my back as Stefan sprang forward, throwing me down on the ground with a deafening crash.

"Do not kill her, Stefan, we need her." I heard Vladimir call as he wrestled Jasper, who had managed to lock his arm around the Romanian's neck.

Our motions were complete blurs at this point, between the blazing orange and red flames. I rolled frantically over and pinned Stefan to the floor, glaring at him.

"Killing me won't change anything" he said slowly. There was no fear in his crimson eyes, just pure menacing excitement.

_They had wanted to control me. _

I threw him to the side, and sprinted across to free a struggling Edward, who had his neck close to being ripped off by a guard.

I tore the guards away and threw them down onto the marble floor, allowing the flames to destroy them. Edward pulled my arms back as I attempted to dart forward towards Emil.

"Bella think about what you are doing." he said gesturing to the scene around us. "If the guards don't hear from him they will attack on that hillside. They will attack and there will be nothing that either you or I can do about it."

I struggled to release myself; the reddish haze was getting worse and still fuelling the burning feeling cascading within me. The room was a blur of flames and I could just see the outline of a figure creeping towards the doorway. Emil's gaze locked on to Edward for a long moment. There was cold, pitiless rage in his eyes now. It reflected the black soul within him. I knew instantly that Emil was trying to hypnotize Edward, force him to follow his command. But I wouldn't let him. I concentrated my shield to cover over Edward and block Emil's influence over him.

"We have half of the existing Vampire clans on our side, Isabella..." Stefan said silkily "betrays us and I will give the command for them to destroy your entire coven."

I snapped Edward's grasp off me and in one swift motion had lunged at him sending Stefan into the flames, only barely hearing the yells from the others. I surveyed over the flames as they reduced the ancient vampire to ashes. A sudden sound of a door creaking open distracted my focus. The sound of hurried footsteps attempting to leave the room alerted me to the fact that the two remaining Valhalla were heading for the door.

"Vladimir, leave them we have to get going _now_!" Emil's voice echoed over to the only remaining member of the Romanian clan.

"She killed…" Vladimir began to say, but Emil interrupted him, "…and we will avenge him later; now come on. The Volturi are approaching and we have to get the boy." he snarled before disappearing out of the door. Within seconds we were alone in the room, only two or three guards remaining. Edward and Jasper were already trying to get a hold over the situation.

I wasted no time in darting after them down the room towards the doorway, dodging the flames as I did so. "Bella wait!" Jasper and Edward called as they followed at breakneck speed behind me.

"They've got Horatio!" I cried, running across the main entrance hall and down the long unfamiliar corridor that led down deeper into the mansion. The figures of Emil and Vladimir were moving relatively quickly, but not fast enough. I threw myself across the hall and attempted to land a neat tackle to bring them to the ground. The floor cracked beneath me as I landed upon it, with Edward and Jasper pinning me down.

"Bella you have to calm down!"

What the hell were they doing? If the Valhalla had Horatio, then they had to have been responsible for Esme's death. I let out a high pitched cry and tried to wrestle myself free.

"Let. Me. GO!" I heard myself say as more flames erupted from the floor.

"Jasper, do something!" Edward said desperately trying to tighten his grip around me.

"I'm trying, but her shield is too strong."

"Damn it Bella get a grip or else you're going to kill us all." Edward had started to pull me away from the flames that were creeping uncontrollability towards us.

"Edward please let me go, I just saw…" I tried to say but neither of them seemed to take any notice. Frustrated I managed to raise my arm upwards and threw Jasper across the corridor; he smashed into the wall and landed on the ground mere inches from the fire. Several dozen more guards had appeared and were attempting to get past the fire that was completely blocking their pathway to us.

I was on my feet in seconds and had already started running, leaving the flames burning the floor behind me. I looked back for a brief second seeing Edward get to his feet and head after me. I increased my speed and in my distraction hit a solid object hard, a frustrated growl left my lips as I tried to move, but strong hands had already clasped on to my arms, holding me back yet again. _What was it with everyone trying to stop me, I wasn't the bad guy here! _I struggled furiously tearing away at the obstruction in front of me without really seeing it at all. Pieces of material went flying off my fingers as I relentless tried to free myself.

"Get off me." I screamed only barely registering the familiar intoxicating scent engulfing me and sending the fire to burn along my throat.

"Isabella," The firm delicate and spine tingling voice said slowly.

I sank my nails into the figure's arm and struggled against them, voicing my protests in incomprehensible cries. My feet left the ground as I was lifted and led away back up the corridor. I screamed in protest and I attempted to sink my teeth into my capture's arm. A strong hand cupped around by cheek bringing me up to looking into their face.

"Carlisle?" I managed to say in a high pitched voice, reducing my efforts to get free. His golden eyes bore into mine with a fierce and animalistic glint to them. I had to get a grip over myself here.

"I can't leave you alone for five minutes can I?" Carlisle said sternly as Edward came up beside him, attempting to pry my arm off Carlisle's grip.

"Emil and Vladimir provoked her," Edward stated.

"It's okay Edward, I've got her." he said in a determined tone, pulling me over to one side.

"But she's lost it Carlisle; we have to get her out of here. Emil has already gone to collect the rest of the guards…"

"I said I'll handle it Edward. Where's Charlotte by the way?" I heard Carlisle say as his arms firmly held mine to my waist.

"No idea…" Edward began to say in the midst of trying to restrain me.

"Carlisle please let me go." I called out cutting him off mid-sentence.

"Isabella you have to stop this now." Carlisle said not taking his eyes off me.

I moaned and wiggled frantically against him to free myself. The flames were still burning on the floor beside Jasper who was getting to his feet and wincing at the fresh marks on his arm. "Her shield is too strong for me Carlisle; I think you better take her outside before she sets the entire mansion on fire." I heard him say as he tried and failed to calm me.

Leave the mansion? _I couldn't, not yet; I had to find Charlotte and the immortal child._

"Why on earth did you allow her to come alone, Carlisle? She's merely a new born and…" Edward's tone was disapproving, and breaking my train of thought. But before Edward could even finish his sentence, Carlisle had scooped me up in his arms bridal style and sped past the flames up the corridor to the entrance hall and outside.

"I'll sort her out, just find out where Charlotte is." he called back completely ignoring my attempts to set myself free. I continued to kick my legs and scratch every inch of him I could reach. The red haze dominated me and I couldn't think of any else except getting back.

"Carlisle please…" I pleaded in a voice too high to be normal. He said nothing just stared ahead determinately, rushing past dozens of trees and shrubs going deeper and deeper into the secluded Serbia forest. The sky was darkening beyond the horizon and the vague outline of the moon could just be seen through the thin cluster of navy clouds. The cool breeze swept over me, and slightly managed to ease my anger and tension.

After a while, he came to a halt in the center of the forest; heavily concealed by trees that gave the area a more eerie appearance. A few yards away, I could see the vague outline of a lake, its silvery surface glinting in the moonlight. The mournful cry of an owl could just be heard in the distance. Carlisle set me down on my feet and stepped away, not taking his grasp off my arm.

"Take me back right now!" I half yelled glaring up at him with narrowed eyes.

"No."

"Carlisle!" I started to protest again but he pulled me fiercely against his chest, restraining me.

"You cannot keep doing this Bella," he said keeping his grip on me ", you have got to get a grip…"

"…I'm trying" I interjected furiously.

"You almost killed yourself in the process of fighting. We cannot afford this Bella; you have to accept the fact that you are only a new born," He said earnestly, in an effort to calm me down. "When we fight, Bella, we do it together a unit. You are not expected to do this single handedly."

I knew that he was trying, yet again, to calm me down. It was so effortless for him to take away the anxiety and stress with his simple words.

"I am the only one powerful enough to fix this Carlisle," I snapped, blinking as the haze of crimson began to fade in color. "The reason why we're even here is because of me and my power. Now let me go back." I pulled myself away from him and turned, walking towards the path he had just taken. I had barely moved an inch when I felt him grab my arm and pull me back, half-dragging me towards the lake. I growled and tried to wrench myself free again.

"Stop fighting me Bella."

I couldn't speak at this point, so I merely continued my useless struggles against him. It never occurred to me before just how strong he actually was, but then again he was a good 300 years older than me. The grass shuffled against my shoes as we came up to the water's edge. I couldn't help but stare down at my reflection. The snow white skin and crimson eyes looked back at me in wonder. My coal black hair ruffled slightly in the breeze.

"Look at me." he said, his silky tone was calm, sending a ripple down my spine. My eyes met his and I could see the pain, the despair and the devotion in his darkening gold eyes. How could we ever be together, after all that had happened in such a short space of time? I had become the very monster that Carlisle resented so much. He never relished the idea of killing anyone, even the sadistic type like James or Emil.

He cupped my cheek in his hand, stroking my face with his finger tips. I survey over him, the material of his shirt was practically in ruins and there were deep scratch and bite marks on his arms. I closed my eyes, feeling them begin to moisten. I tried very hard to hold on to the stability I had found within myself. We were silent for a few moments and I rested my head against his collarbone.

"I'm sorry," I said finally. "I didn't think I could be such a monster."

"Isabella, my sweet angel you are not a monster." he said delicately.

"I lost control. I couldn't stop," Carlisle shushed me almost immediately, pressing his index finger to my lips, "I know Bella. Do you honestly think I would have come otherwise?" He shook his head, "Alice saw everything and knowing that only I could do something, I came to you. This wasn't your fault, but my own. I knew of Emil's nature and I should never have let you deal with him alone."

The sincerity of his words caused another wave of guilt to wash over me. I couldn't understand how he could be so understanding and, and faithful. I had hurt him, injured him out of my own stupid lack of control. If I was like this now, how was I going to be in the battle?

_I'm a liability,_ I thought as I traced my fingers along the scratch marks on his semi-exposed chest, and just above his collar bone.

"I hurt you." I was only half listening to him as I cast my eyes away from him.

"Its done, but we are going to have to make sure that it doesn't happen again. Don't dwell upon it my love, for you are still only a new born."

It was so easy for him to say such things, to put it in the past and move on. He had been like this for centuries, every emotion and action was second nature to him. How could he understand what a new born was going through? My fists clenched unexpectedly at the thought and I scowled at the water. It startled me at how deeply blue it looked. How long had it been since I had seen such a thing?

"We should be getting back now" I murmured as I turned to walk away.

"Not yet Bella" Carlisle said coming in front of me to prevent me from moving any further.

"I'm okay now." I insisted with a shrug, "no more drama." I made to move past him, but his hand gripped my wrist pulling me close to his chest. "I need you to stay here for a moment."

I let out an exasperated sigh and continued trying to wrench myself free. I didn't know whether it was the aftermath of what had happened at the Mansion or Carlisle's determination in _protecting me from me. _But there was definitely a sense of tension lingering between us. It seemed that I wasn't the only one who noticed this. Carlisle was oddly still as though he was contemplating something, his eyes lingered over me for a while. I took a couple of steps back; trying very hard to ignore that deliciously enticing scent that lingered like an invisible fog around me. _Just turn and walk away, run if you have to, _the thought echoed like a whisper in the back of my mind. The battle could have started by now, and it would do no good whatsoever if I was miles away from them. The whole point of me being here like this was to protect and fight. "I'm going to go back now," I stated, "you can come whenever you're ready."

A low rumbling sound emitted somewhere for where Carlisle was standing "I can't go back with you to the mansion Isabella. Aro has put me in command of one of his guards' divisions." he said cautiously as though trying to prevent me from losing it again.

"Wait a second," I ran a hand through my hair and stared at the ground for a moment. "Why did he pick you?"

Carlisle smiled sadly and took a step closer to the water. "Because he wants to make sure none of us abandon to the Volturi's cause; and to keep you on his side."

"He can't, I won't let him put you in the front line."

"Bella…"

"No, you're not a solider Carlisle. And I won't let him put you in danger." Especially seeing as I'll be too busy trying to find this child in order to stop the whole battle in the first place.

Carlisle came up in front of me with a reassuring expression on his face. "It's not like I haven't battled before Bella," he cast his eyes over to the lake, "and even if I don't like or approve of violence and destruction being the answer to our troubles. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices and cross the aisles or else nothing gets done."

"Fighting for a side you don't support isn't the way to go about it." I said as his gaze returned to meet mine.

"We have no choice in the matter Isabella. We have to support Aro in this for our own sakes. If Emil succeeds then it could put the entire realm at risk? How can any of us attempt to live a normal, peaceful life if our secret is revealed?"

"But," I started to say before he raised a hand and silenced me.

"Bella if we are exposed everything will change. I can no longer practice medicine and you won't be able to have any of the _normal _luxuries. The humans will see us as monsters hunt us down and seek to destroy us. Is that the kind of existence you want to have?"

I stared down at the ground at bit my lip; everything he had said reminded of our meeting with Aro a day earlier, when the true nature of the

Valhalla had been revealed. This was more than just about saving our kind; it was also about saving humanity.

"And if obeying Aro's rules aids in keeping you and the others safe then I will do it. I will do_ anything _Bella."

"I just don't want you to get yourself killed in order to protect me."

"I won't Isabella so please don't worry," he said slowly, "just have some faith." I looked up to meet his glossy black eyes and before I could say another word, he caught my mouth in his, devouring my lips with such force that I had to take a few steps back. It took me half a second to get over the surprise and for me to wrap my arms around his waist, as his tongue danced around my mouth. My muscles completely relaxed and my mind became completely void of stress. I couldn't help but moan against him as he pressed himself to me. I felt his hand trace down along my sweater, slowly slipping underneath it. The tips of his fingers clasped the fabric roughly as he pulled it up and exposing my bra. I arched my back to him, pushing my hips into his meeting the hardness in his clothes. I smiled into his lips as my tongue met his in rapturous ecstasy. And then a sudden realization hit me; we couldn't do this here, what if Edward or someone else found us.

"Carlisle wait," I said breaking away and attempting to restrain my control. "We can't do this, not here someone will…"

"…I have to Isabella, or else I will lose my mind. I need you." he kissed my lips again, lifting me in his arms moving towards the trees. The leaves rustled against my back as he brought me to a secluded section of the woods. The kiss never broke as he lowered me onto the soft grass; its rich scent filling my senses. He removed my sweater swiftly.

He raised himself up on his elbows and stared down at me with hooded ebony eyes. "You are so delectable Isabella." He murmured moving down to kiss my throat. His fingers moved nimbly, unhooking my bra.

I tried to speak but all I could manage at this point was a high pitched whimper as he began exploring my chest with his mouth in a blissful combination of kissing, licking and suckling.

The effect of this had caused me to become ridiculously wet; I began murmuring his name again, pleading with him not to stop his wonderful ministrations. He looked up at me and gave me an irresistible smile as his fingers ran along my breast. "I will never stop, not until I have possessed you completely."

I bucked my hips at his words; desperate to remove the material separating us.

"Do you like this?" he asked as the tip of his teeth grazed over my breast and circled around my hardened bud gently.

"Y-yes." I could barely form a coherent sentence at this point.

I let out a gasp as the instincts took over and I hastily moved my hand to the edge of his shirt, ripping the remaining material and exposing his beautifully sculpted chest. A low lusty growl left him as I ran my hand over his skin that glittered slightly in the dimming light of day. My hand slid along his torso downwards to the bulge in his pants and I stroked him lightly through his clothes.

"Bella." his voice was an agonized whisper. I met his lustful jet black eyes and smiled in response. My actions seemed to have the effect I was aching for and I felt him unfasten the button and lower the zipper of my pants. I lifted my hips slightly aiding him as he slid them off my legs, leaving me nude beneath him.

"You are so wet sweetheart." he murmured as he parted my thighs. He ran this thumb and forefinger over my clit, sending a tightening sensation in my abdomen. "Mmm, pour moi?" he murmured as the tip of his fingers met my core.

"Yes," I breathed "all for you…" I cast my eyes upwards, biting my lower lip. Carlisle being seductive was one thing, but speaking in French at the same time?

_Heaven help me_.

I could barely contain myself at this point. My body was like a live wire and each time he touched me, I was brought closer to the edge.

"Oh…" I said attempting to keep my voice steady. His two fingers thrust inside me. "So responsive," he gave me a mischievous smile and crawled back on top of me, leaning down to plant kisses here and there along my neck and jaw line. His fingers were still caressing my sensitive core, and seconds later I bucked my hips as the first wave of my climax erupted within me. "I n-need you." I murmured as the warm fire like sensation was cascading like an avalanche over me again.

"Don't fear my love I won't keep you waiting."

I let out in a strained whimper as he pulled away and got to his feet. I propped myself up on my elbows watching him with heated anticipation as he began undoing his belt. The last of his clothes slid off him and he kicked both pants and underwear aside before kneeling down beside me, his blond hair in disarray over his face. He leaned down over me, taking my mouth in his as he caressed my breast in his hand. He began teasing it slowly with expert fingers. The desire and need radiating from his persona was sending me into a lustful oblivion. He raised himself upon me, lining himself with my entrance. He hitched my leg up and around his back. Our lips broke apart for a moment and we stared at each for a split second before he slipped inside me. A deep groan left us both as he raised my arms up above my head before moving slowly out. His mouth hovering over mine, lips parted and we both exhaled as he pushed himself inside me fully.

"Ugh…Carlisle" I moaned as the overwhelming longing sensation increased. The muscles of my womanhood contracted, pulling him in further. He unclasped my wrists in his hands and moved to my hips in carefully crafted strokes. We began to move in rhythm, slowly at first, but soon his vampire hunger had taken over him. He slid in and out of me, over and over again. A long moan escaped his lips as he leaned down to claim my lips again, and I thought I would melt there and then beneath him.

The pace increased and the slick sound of skin slapping skin met my ears. I raised my hips to match his movement, desperate to take him in further.

"Harder," I cried out in sheer joy, "please I need more."

"Anything for you my bride." he groaned and slammed further into me, causing my cry to turn into a full scream that echoed around the woodland.

He leaned down further and captured my breast in his mouth, running his pointed incisor along it.

"Carlisle!" His name left my lips as my muscles contracted further around him as he continued to move within me.

"Again Isabella, I want to hear my name on your delicious lips."

My climax hit me; the feeling was euphoric like I had never experienced it before, but it was always different each time he claimed me. Each time it just got better and better. "Oh… Doctor Cullen." The tightening sensation increased in my stomach. "Yes my Isabella, scream my name out as I make you come." His rhythm gained momentum as he spoke and we both groaned out in pleasure. His hand blazed a trail downwards, and _holy hell_, I thought I would combust out of pure delight as the tips of his fingers met my sensitive cluster of nerves. He leaned down to silence my moans, kissing me passionately, almost desperately.

He pulled me in closer, lifting one of my legs upwards, enabling him to reach my G-spot. My muscles surrendered to him once again. He moved almost completely out of me and I whimpered at the loss of contact before he plunged into me again, and again and again.

"Come with me my darling." He said and almost immediately my walls clenched around him, sending us both to our orgasms and he came inside me. I pulled him down on to my chest as he continued to thrust slowly in and out, riding out the climax in unison. He collapsed on top of me; kissing my cheek and my lips briefly, looking down at me with a smile. We lay in each others embrace in silence for a short while, listening to the sound of the whispering trees as the wind flew over them.

"Are you alright, my love?" Carlisle asked pulling away from me and resting on his knees.

I sat up swiftly and nodded as a small grin curved my lips. I drew myself up on my knees bringing myself level with his exquisite face.

"Thank you." I murmured bringing my hand to his cheek. He smiled and took my hand from his cheek and kissed it lightly. I was only half aware that most of our clothes had been scattered haphazardly on the grass.

"You don't have to thank me Isabella."

"Yes I do," I said earnestly "you put up with every irrational thing that I do and you still love me."

"It will take more than that for me to stop loving you," he replied planting a kiss on my forehead before getting to his feet and hastily collecting our clothes. He handed mine to me almost regretfully and quickly began dressing.

About a minute and a half later we were both fully dressed; miraculously Carlisle had managed to bring a spare cashmere sweater with him. He met my surprised gaze and smiled. "Alice suggested I bring a spare just incase." He walked over to me as I tried brushing the grass out of my hair in an effort to make it look more presentable.

"Is it noticeable that I've been rolling around on the grass?" I asked looking at him.

"Does it really matter?" he asked slightly bemused. I bit my lip and frowned. "It's just… I don't want it to look like we don't care about the others or the situation here."

"Isabella, nobody is going to take much notice I assure you. And if they do, who cares?" he whispered in my ear, his lips ghosting over my earlobe. "It is rather obvious that you are irresistible to me." I closed my eyes and rested the side of my head against his, breathing in deeply. I caught his scent and exhaled slowly.

The silence was broken suddenly by a shrill ringing out and I raised my head instantly on alert looking around.

"It's just my cell phone Bella," Carlisle said with a smirk, he hastily pulled it out of his pocket and answered it.

"Edward, how is everything?" I heard him say as he took a few steps away from me. I frowned, not sure whether I should be listening in on this.

"Yes everything is fine. She just needed a walk to calm her down," Carlisle casually said. I moved towards the lake, determined to try and not think about Edward and the peculiar feeling of guilt that had come over me. I shook my head trying to rid myself of it, foolish though it was, at least Carlisle had the good nature to lie and spare Edward from pain.

"Are you sure Edward?" Carlisle was pacing up and down a few yards from the lake. "Yes I know, but how is it possible that…Okay, fine. We'll be there shortly." The snap of the phone shutting off made me turn and cast a curious glance at him.

"What's happened?" I asked looking at Carlisle's somewhat shocked, if not, stricken face. He was staring at the ground with a hand over his mouth. His forehead creased in a frown as he kept silent.

"Carlisle?"

"We have to get back," he said glancing at his watch. "Hopefully I won't be too late."

"What's doing on?" I asked coming up in front of him.

"I'll explain while we're running." He took my hand and took me back along the path, breaking into a run through the trees.

"Carlisle what's happened?" I asked warily as we quickened our pace.

"Apparently they've found Horatio." Carlisle said steadily looking ahead of him. I almost stopped dead in my tracks, but judging by how fast he was going I thought better of it and continued.

"A-are you sure?" I stuttered in amazement.

"Edward says they found him in the mansion, Charlotte managed to trace him out before Emil could act." Carlisle said stiffly and I wasn't sure whether or not he was in shock.

It took a moment for this to sink in. A torrent of questions had exploding in my mind. Did Aro know, and how much had the boy changed? Was Emil responsible for his and Esme fate after all?

"Did, did they find anyone else?" I asked slowly as a sudden thought came over me.

"I don't know he didn't say." Carlisle said biting his lip and slowing down some minutes later as we reached the edge of the hillside. The distinct outline of smoke billowing into the dark sky could be seen on the horizon. _Had the battle already begun?_

"They're not there Bella," he said meeting my gaze. "Edward's hardly going to hand him in, if indeed he has found him."

From the far corner of the hill just beyond the edge of trees emerged a sound and a familiar figure came into view from the corner of my eye as Carlisle spoke.

"Nice to see you trust me Carlisle." Edward said delicately strolling out past the trees, a smirk playing about his lips.

"I have a reason to be suspicious Edward."

"I'll admit calling you about Horatio was a little blunt, but I didn't have much of a choice given the circumstances." He said fixing his eyes upon me curiously.

"Are the others with him?" Carlisle asked resuming his pacing.

"Rosalie and Charlotte are," Edward said coolly and still keeping his gaze on me. "Jasper had to report back to Aro and take over for your absence"

"It's started then," I said before Carlisle could say another word. "The Valhalla have started the attack."

"Not exactly, I mean a couple of guards have been destroyed from each side, and there were a few mild scuffles but nothing major yet. Emil is biding his time, either because he's got something up his sleeve or he's now having doubts because he hasn't got you on his side." Edward said nodding in my direction.

"Yes because I managed to stop him from consuming my blood, blood that _you_ were suppose to be protecting."

"You really didn't need to do that, Bella." Edward said as he glanced at his watch and smirked to himself.

"I had the situation under control.""You call being bound in chains having the situation under control?" I asked folding my arms.

"I could have freed myself and stopped Emil you know; I am more skilled in combat than you"

I raised my eye brows and took a step back, folding my arms as I did so. "Edward we really don't have time for this," Carlisle said glancing to towards the woods. "If we keep Aro waiting any longer he's going to think we've deserted."

"You didn't seem so concerned about the time before when you went off with Bella." Edward retorted.

"I had to calm her down before any further damage was done." Carlisle said, a neutral expression masking his face.

Edward snorted loudly and shook his head evidently amused. "Well you certainly did a _thorough_ job"

"Okay that's enough," I said hastily, "can I meet this child that is apparently going to bring about Emil's downfall and prevent the battle?"

Edward nodded to both of us and beckoned us back into the trees. We followed at a brisk pace, maintaining a somewhat strained silence throughout. I slipped my hand into Carlisle's briefly and gave him a tentatively smile.

"I should warn you," Edward said teasingly, "that he's changed a lot since we last met him."

Carlisle nodded, his eyes fixed on the ground, lost in thought. We walked on for a few more minutes deeper and deeper into the undergrowth, the only sound surround us was of the occasional cracking of twigs beneath our feet or the gentle rustling of leaves. I looked around on several occasions as we drew nearer to the site and caught the odd scent of almond and a tiny hint of apple. I frowned and couldn't help but feel a strong sense of déjà vu. This scent was strangely familiar.

"Edward?" Rosalie's voice could just be heard a few yards away within the spacious clearing that we had reached, which was completely surrounded by pine trees.

"Its okay Rose, you can come out." Edward called calmly stopping in his tracks. There was a swooshing sound quickly followed by the light thud of feet landing on the ground a short distance in front of us. Rosalie looked up at us through her curtain of blond hair, evidently relieved. "You took your time." she said coming over to us.

"Not my fault Rose, Bella was slightly delayed." Edward muttered in an attempt to keep his voice even. From the corner of my eyes I could have sworn I saw Rosalie meet Carlisle's glance, hint of a smile teasing her lips.

"Well you're here now," she said turning to look up into the trees. "You can come down now, its safe."

"Are you sure?" A slightly pitched melodic voice sounded from above. Rosalie, for the first time since I had known her, actually laughed. "I'm positive, come down Horatio."

There was a small sound of air being disturbed once again, followed by a light thud. And from the bushes a relatively short figure emerged dressed in an aqua blue hooded cloak, bounding towards us at vampire speed. Their face was well concealed.

"Come and see for your self," Edward murmured responding to the figure's thought. The hooded figure looked in our direction and moved forward, tentatively. The figure raised his small thin arms up to the edge of his cloak and pushed it down. As I watched, I felt Carlisle hand tighten in mine and he took a small step forwards cautiously.

A little golden brown haired boy, with skin so pale that he could easily make the snow look gray, looked up and fixed his dark eyes upon us; looking slightly shocked. There was a sharp intake of breath from Carlisle as his hand broke from mine and he kneeled down in front of the boy, staring at him in what I could only describe as amazement.

"Hello Father," the boy said with a small smile.

~To be continued.

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Thoughts?

Was good, bad or just plain confusing? Let me know. I really apprechiate your comments.

I took my time with this chapter mainly due to the overload of work for college I'm getting lately. And I want to thank you all for reviewing and to the new subscribers for this story.

Music inspiring this chapter: www (dot) youtube (dot) com / watch?v=eE2gdpYJvh0

A few (optional) questions.

How did you find the *cough* lemon? (I'm nervous now for even asking you all this but I do like hearing your opinions).

Whose side are you on, The Volturi Or The Valhallas?

A small side note:

Now someone you may have noticed that some stories on this site are being taken down. And I'm guessing it is because of the "adult" content in them or whatever. Now seeing as this story does have such content in it and I am somewhat of overcautious of this story - I decided to post this story on some other fanfiction sites just in case. The Links to the websites can be found on my profile.


	33. Chapter 33: The Immortal Child

A/N

28 days later....

I apologise for the long wait, but I have been somewhat busy with College and real life issues..etc.

Thank you so much for all the reviews and subscribtions/alerts. I am very grateful to you all for supporting this story and allowing it to come this far.

As you may or may not know I have also posted this story on "The Writer's Coffee Shop FanFiction site". The version there is slightly different to the version here, Chapter 4 in particular is completely different. So if you are curious take a look and let me know your thoughts - the link is on my profile.

Thank you to my wonderful Beta, Twilight-fan1015. Thank you to ScarCharlotte for inspiring me upon Horatio's back story.

A small side note. There is a quote in this chapter from Carlisle in the _Eclipse_ movie ( the 7 minute long sneak peak that came in the NM dvd), see if you can spot it. :]

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Chapter 33

_The Immortal Child_

_BPOV_

I watched Carlisle stare in astonishment at the boy whose eyes were, to my intense surprise, a warm honeycomb gold. I should have been surprised at this that he had maintained the vegetarian diet, but I wasn't. How could I be when there was a new revelation dawning upon the horizon? The boy was alive and if Alice's assumption was correct, Horatio wasn't the only one. What if Esme was alive too? What if the entire scene that had occurred on that hillside in Austria three years ago had been a lie? Everything would change. I felt weirdly numb and almost guilty. If Esme was still alive then… My mind briefly pondered over the memory of the past months that I had been with Carlisle and the things we had done together would have all been a hideous betrayal. But if she was alive then I would make sure that she _never ever_ found out about the affair, not just for her sake but for Carlisle's as well.

I shifted to my right side and loosened my hold on Carlisle's hand to let him go. The boy took a small step closer as Carlisle released my hand and outstretched it towards Horatio. "You're alive." Carlisle whispered as he took his hand pulling Horatio into an embrace, his expression a mixture of surprise and relief.

"I thought you would be angry with me" Horatio said slightly bewildered at his reaction. Carlisle broke away from him, shaking his head. "Of course not," he said with a small smile. "I'm just happy to see your safe and well."

I felt Edward's eyes upon me and I looked up to meet his frowning gaze in a worrisome fashion. He took a few steps and came up to stand right beside me. "Did you find anyone else?" I asked him in the lowest whisper I could manage. Edward nodded and made a gesture for us to move away ever so slightly. Nobody else seemed to notice us thankfully.

"Bella…" Edward began and it seemed he was making a great effort to keep his voice steady.

"…She's alive isn't she?" I interrupted him. There was pain in Edward's eyes and it burned right through me. I couldn't even look at him anymore, instead fixing my gaze onto the floor, glaring at the grass. I had to keep calm and not let the _new born _side get the better of me.

"No," Edward said "Horatio confirmed it for us."

I blinked and immediately shot my head up, looking into his blackening eyes. "Alice was wrong," I said half to myself. "But you said that you found someone else?"

"Yes," Edward said coldly. "Horatio has a sister, which certainly explains why he kept quiet for so long."

"He was protecting her?" I guessed my mind was still taking in Edward's news. I could kill Alice for making foolish and what seemed pointless assumptions over Horatio's situation.

"His sister is still a human." Edward continued as if he hadn't heard me.

"She's a human?" I replied amazed and now even more confused. I felt the boy's

eyes lock upon me and he frowned. Carlisle followed his gaze to me and smiled. "This is Isabella…"

"…I know you," Horatio said looking from me to Carlisle. "I saw her at the New Years Eve Ball, she danced with Emil."

He was at the ball? How had the Cullens missed him being there, surely his scent would have caught them even with all the guests. I looked at Carlisle and then at Edward with an accusing stare.

"We never had any sign that you were ever there," Carlisle said.

"No you wouldn't. Emil didn't want me to be discovered, so I used my power to conceal myself."

Rosalie came up in front of Edward and crouched down to level with Horatio. I frowned in spite of myself and cast a curious look at Carlisle. Had he known about this?

"You have gift?" Rosalie said in an awed voice.

Horatio nodded guiltily. "Yes, it's the main reason why Emil has kept me alive for so long…" the boy broke off and dropped his gaze to his shoes.

Carlisle took a step closer and returning to my side, placing an arm around my waist. Horatio nodded not meeting Carlisle's eyes. "He said I had a powerful gift and it would be a waste not to release it. That was why he changed me."

"What is your…gift?" I asked tentatively. I couldn't help but be somewhat curious about his accent. I figured he would have sounded Russian or perhaps Romanian, but he didn't. Horatio's accent was prominently American, California based if I wasn't mistaken. I was slightly surprised at this, but then again Carlisle never mentioned where he was originally from.

"I can make myself invisible." He said with a shrug. "It's kind of like a force-field around myself along that conceals me entirely. You can't hear me or see me, even smell me."

Rosalie put a hand in front of her mouth and failed miserably in concealing a gasp. This revelation certainly explained how Horatio had managed to escape from the Volturi.

"So that is how you managed to escape," I said after a short pause. "Leaving Esme to die."

"Bella," Carlisle said softly, looking at me with concern and remorse in his eyes.

"Please," Horatio said shakily. "You have to understand I never wanted to hurt her or any of you for that matter…" he looked around from Carlisle to Edward and then at Rosalie.

"Then why did you set us up?" Carlisle asked gently. I was somewhat surprised that he had managed to remain calm in all of this.

"I didn't have a choice, he would have killed my sister and she's the only human family I have left. I couldn't let her die." Horatio said and the more he spoke the more nervous he became.

"You were protecting your family," Carlisle said in an effort to be understanding.

"Yes, but that's no excuse." Horatio said. "I should never have lied to you. It was wrong and, and I don't want to lie anymore, I want you the truth about everything."

"There is no need at the moment Horatio," Edward muttered. "We have more pressing matters to attend to."

"No," The boy said in a loud whisper. "You have to know everything, otherwise, how else will you know that the side you're fighting for is the right one."

I cast a glance at Carlisle who nodded, gesturing to his adopted son to continue.

Horatio took a step away to stand in the centre of the clearing and exhaled slowly before continuing. "It all happened a few years ago, when me and my sister came to Serbia during Spring break with our parents," he said slowly. "We had come over from Seattle. My mom really wanted to visit the country her ancestors once lived in, so we came here and camped on the hillside not very far from here. And, for the first few days everything was fine; we went swimming in the lake and hiking in the woods. It was great for a while but then, but then…" he broke off and the tip of his fang bit his bottom lip.

"You don't have to do this Horatio," Edward said gently, "If it is too difficult…"

"…No, no" the boy's responded. I felt somewhat curious for the vampire child to continue, and despite my remorse for him I couldn't help feeling sorry for whatever terrible thing had happened to him. He had the most beautiful innocent face

"One evening I was in the tent when I suddenly heard screaming and my sister ran into the tent and dragged me out; yelling that we had to get out of there, that we were being attacked. I didn't understand at first and then I saw them, three men; at least they looked like men but their eyes were red and they had fangs protruding out of their mouths. One of them had my mom pinned to the ground; her neck was stained with blood and she wasn't moving. My dad yelling, almost screaming for us to get away just as they tackled him to the ground and…" Horatio broke off and buried his face in his hands.

Carlisle was beside him instantly and lowered himself to his knees, wrapping his arms around the boy. I couldn't think of a single word to say and I could see by the look on Edward's face that there was truth in what the boy was saying. Had Edward read his mind already and observed the memories of Horatio's past, was this the reason why he had been so eager to find the immortal child?

"And they killed him" Horatio said after a moment, leaning against Carlisle's shoulder. "My sister led me away and we both ran into the woods looking for a way to reach the road, but the vampires caught up with us and snatched my sister away from me."

I felt cold and almost fearful at the fact that a child had to witness the violent and brutal death of his parents.

"She told me to run but I couldn't," Horatio swallowed and seemed to be shaking now. "I couldn't let her die too so I… tried to distract them, but one of them just pushed me aside and I was sure they were going to kill me. But they didn't instead one of the vampires, Emil I think it was said that I had potential and then they took me away. Picked me and my sister up and led us away from the forest, away from the campsite and our parents. The last thing I remember after that was this horrible burning sensation, like someone had set my insides on fire." He paused for a moment looking around at each of us in turn.

"So they changed you rather than kill you?" I asked feeling slightly perplexed. Horatio nodded and continued. "When I woke up I was in one of the bedrooms of the mansions even then I knew I wasn't normal anymore. Emil was there and after he had given me some blood, explained what had happened to me that I had been changed and had been given a gift. I was so scared, nothing was right my throat was burning and everything I did was faster, easier than usual and I could see everything better. I wanted to run around and explore, but Emil wouldn't let me and whenever I was around him I felt like he had some tight hold over me. I couldn't do anything unless he commanded me to do it…"

Carlisle nodded thoughtfully as Horatio paused for another moment. "He hypnotized you to obey?"

Horatio nodded, his beautiful face alight with wonder at the fact that Carlisle understood.

"Emil explained to me what had happened, that I had been changed into a vampire and that now I could use the powers that had been locked up inside my human self. He told me everything that I could live for ever and never have to sleep again. It was all very overwhelming, but Emil helped me keep myself under control. And then I asked to see my sister, I couldn't because she was still human and there was a risk that I could hurt her. Back then none of it made any sense, I would never hurt my sister but I was a new born and anything that had blood in it would be at risk from my thirst… So I spent over eight months in seclusion, being trained by Emil in mastering my powers…

"Why so long?" I asked in wonderment looking at Horatio.

"Our kind is never more physically powerful than the first seven months of vampire life." Carlisle said distantly, "it is during those months that a new born is the most dangerous."

I felt him cast me a pointed look, but I made no acknowledgement of it. I had another five and a half months to go until I was stable. The thought of waiting that long to be able to act like a normal human was somewhat disenchanting. I wondered for the briefest moment if my parents would be able to come to the wedding. I was taken aback by this thought that was somewhat selfish considering the position we were in. I mean that didn't really matter at this point seeing as there was a great chance that we could all die in this battle.

Edward let out an exasperated sigh and said irritably. "Can we get on with it, time is of the essence and I doubt Aro will wait any longer."

"I though you were on Emil's side Edward," I said remembering the words he had spoken many weeks ago. _"The reasons why I want to see the downfall of the Volturi is because of what they did to Esme."_

"I've had a change of heart…" Edward muttered looking away. Another tidal wave of confusion came over like that from a frustrating storm in a calm ocean.

"I take it that you have ceased with the double agent role," Rosalie said looking at her brother reproachfully.

"I haven't had much of a choice, seeing as Horatio's story makes perfect sense." Edward said, shrugging. Horatio gave Edward an understanding smile and nodded before resuming in his tale.

"So after almost a year he said that I was ready to perform the job he had planned for me and that if I did succeeded in the task, I could keep my sister human and get to spend more time with her again. I agreed to it even before I knew what it was I had to do, I wouldn't let my sister go through what I had been through."

"Just a second…" Rosalie said cutting across Horatio as he spoke. "How do we know you're not under Emil's control now?" she asked, "If Emil has consumed your blood than surely…"

"…There is a distant limit" Edward said matter of factily.

The reactions to these words were simultaneous from each of us. Nobody seemed able to voice the question. "How…?" I asked finally.

"I'm too far away from Emil for him to be able to possess me," Horatio said.

"And I doubt he knows that your missing," Edward said looking at the boy. "The fires Bella started proved to be a good diversion," I gave him an appreciative smile and then gestured to Horatio to continue.

"So what was this plan?" Carlisle asked, but I had a fair idea that he knew the answer already.

"Emil wanted me to join your clan, and then use my presents as an excuse to alert the Volturi…" Horatio said

"…Emil assumed that upon seeing Horatio with Esme the reaction would be the same as that of when the Volturi met Sasha and Vasili Denali." Edward said icily.

"And how right they were," Carlisle said quietly looking down at the ground for a brief moment. I took a step beside my fiancé, seeing the neutral expression on his face; I placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. Carlisle placed a hand on my own and cast a quick glance at me.

"But how were you able to find us?" Rosalie asked, "Emil hadn't made contact with us in years."

"Emil had one of the gifted members of his clan track your clan," Horatio said "he's a very good tracker and was able to find your whereabouts in minutes. And then, I was sent to an area close by where you were. Emil warned me that if I failed in the task or betrayed the plan to any of you it wouldn't just be me who would face punishment, but my sister as well. So I did what I was told, acted the way Emil had told me to act but…" he paused for a moment and looked around at each of the three Cullens and then at me. "…you were all so wonderful, I never expected to…

"…find a second family in them." I murmured with a small understanding smile and Horatio nodded returning the smile. "You treated me like a son and showed me a new life, one where I could live and be what I am without harming or killing people."

Rosalie stared at him with glossy eyes, and the heavy silence that lingered around the forest seemed to shatter as the trees swayed in the breeze. It sent a ripple of whispers around us. "I called you father," Horatio said looking down at Carlisle "because you were just like a father to me, just like my own dad before he died. And when the time came for me to reveal myself over to the Volturi I couldn't do it, I didn't want you to die and I tried so hard to stop it from happening."

"It almost did," Edward said carefully. "Aro had no intention of killing Esme, it was only you…"

Horatio nodded and then said. "And I was more than willing to die, I knew I wasn't supposed to exist that I was against Vampire law. But, it seemed Emil had predicted that Aro might feel too much loyalty toward you Carlisle and so he placed a member of his, coven one that was acting as a member of the Volturi, to finish the job and make it look like an accident." Horatio finished.

Carlisle cast a gaze from Edward to Horatio and frowned as though trying to remember that day many years ago. And then he said in an awed voice. "Demetri…"

Horatio met his gaze and nodded cautiously. "He also aided in tracking your clan down in the beginning."

A sudden memory of Aro's words during our last conversation came into my mind and I frowned, pondering over them. _"__The fire that Demetri generated caught her instead of the creature…" _It was because of Demetri's accidentally handling of the weapon that had cost the life of Esme Cullen; Charlotte had been right all along. Emil was responsible for Esme's death. It was evident that when Aro had refused to kill Esme, Demetri had to take drastic measures; initiating the execution himself to guarantee the breaking of the loyal friendship between the Cullens and the Volturi to kill the leader of the coven's mate.

"I know that there is going to be a battle," Horatio said breaking my train of thought. "And I don't want you to have to fight and risk your lives. If the other clans find out the truth about me and Emil's true plan, then maybe we could avoid any fighting."

"Are you saying that the clans on Emil's side know nothing about him breaking the secrecy of the vampire realm?" Carlisle asked with a frown.

It was rather obvious the other clans thought they were fighting to avenge the Romanians and rid the realm of the Volturi's influence. And the new born vampires just wanted to fight. They don't care about the reasons.

Horatio nodded at his adopted father. "But I can stop this fight. It's quite simple really," he said. "If I reveal myself to the Volturi and explain to them what happened…"

"…No!" there was a sudden rushing sound and frantic footsteps could be heard a short distance away. The voice wasn't one that I recognized and I looked around to see Charlotte hurrying towards us, followed closely by another girl who looked vaguely familiar. As they approached a wave of fire caressed my throat and I tried and failed to hold my breath. A human was coming and I hadn't been around any humans since meeting the tourists in the Volterra.

"Carlisle," I whispered, one hand covering my throat. He was by my side within seconds, his arm around my waist and his lips were at my ear. "Its okay, I'm here."

I leaned in closer to him, focusing on his scent and trying to block out the human. My throat burned fiercely, almost painfully and the slightest glimpse of the reddish haze clouded my eyes. _No, I wasn't going to lose control. Not again._

I let out a low whimper and Carlisle, sensing the war within me, kept a firm grip around my waist holding me still whilst murmuring calming words in my ear.

"Charlotte, get her out of here!" Edward said sharply as Charlotte came up to us, keeping a firm hold on the girl who I recognized to be the one who had taken our coats back at the Valhalla's new year's eve ball. She had a startling resemblance to her younger brother, her hair the same golden brown that flowed in waves down to her waist; her eyes were a deep piercing blue that scanned each of us in turn. By the looks of her, see looked no more than around eighteen or nineteen at the least. I was somewhat startled to find that I could hear the sound of her heart beat, set in a quick motion and the scent of the crimson flowing in her veins.

"She overheard Horatio saying he was going to hand himself into the Volturi and ran out," Charlotte said casting a furtive glance towards the girl.

"How would you like it if your brother said he was going to commit suicide?" the girl said trying to shake Charlotte's grip off her.

"Charlotte, please," Edward said warningly. "We can't afford any accidents."

Charlotte looked at me for a moment and nodded. "Fine, Alyssa, we can talk about this later." She took hold of her hand and prepared to trace away again.

"I'm not leaving him," Alyssa said firmly shaking Charlotte's grip off her. "I won't let you hand him in to those blood sucking monsters!"

Charlotte wrenched her away and scowled. "If it wasn't for us, you'd probably be dead by now…"

"I won't let you take him to them!" Alyssa said wincing as she was half dragged away. Edward came forward to stand directly in front of her. "We're not going to let any harm come to him, but we do need his help if we are to stop a potential blood bath." He reasoned, and then cast a glance at me.

"The area isn't safe for a human at the moment," Carlisle said still keeping beside me. "For your own safety as well as your brother's I advise that you let Charlotte take you to the Cabin until this is over."

Alyssa fixed her eyes upon him and then at me, recognition spreading across her face. I cast my eyes that were probably jet black at this point away to gaze at the ground, trying the hard not to breathe.

"Please Alyssa," Horatio said gently. "Can you do this one thing for me?"

"And if you get ripped to pieces?" she blurted out furiously.

It was Carlisle who spoke this time, his tone firm and reassuring. "I won't let anything happen to him Alyssa, you have my word." After another moment she nodded and allowed Charlotte to lead her away again.

Once she was gone, I felt my muscles relax, although the burning was still present. "Are you alright?" Carlisle whispered with his lips to my cheek. I nodded silently. How was it possible for him to have such an affect on me?

"We should get going," Edward said as though nothing had happened. "Horatio are you sure about this?"

"I'm positive," he said firmly though his expression was somewhat shaken after seeing his sister. "Just promise me that you'll keep my sister safe if I… I don't make it."

Rosalie nodded as she reached out a hand for Horatio to take. He did so with little hesitation and they began walking at a slower pace than usual through the trees towards the hillside where the Volturi were located. I made to follow with Carlisle who was looking somewhat worried but Edward held me back for a fraction of a second. "I need a word," he said carefully not looking at Carlisle. "In private."

I raised my eyebrows suspiciously. "What about?"

"Just a few things it won't take long," Edward assured.

Carlisle's grip around my waist loosened as he began to move away without me. "I'll leave you to it." he said with a neutral expression on his face.

"You don't have to go," I said stopping him in his tracks.

Carlisle gave me a reassuring smile and he planted a quick kiss on my lips and hurried off after the others, leaving me and Edward alone. I ran a hand through my hair as I turned to look at him as he paced up and down the clearing, his arms behind his back.

"What's up Edward?" I asked, finally losing my patience.

He stopped and stared at me, his eyes burning. "Why did you defend me from the Valhalla guards back in the mansion?" He asked suddenly, "why didn't you just let me die."

The question took me completely off guard and I stared at him for a good few minutes in complete silence. "What kind of question is that?"

"Just answer it will you," he said hastily.

"I don't want to see you dead Edward," I was moving away again but

Edward held my arm tightly in his both his hands, fixing his stricken gaze upon me.

"Even after what I have done to you?" he said and for a brief moment I saw the same look in his eyes that he had once given me many years ago when we were in the meadow.

"I know Alice set you the task of handing in the blood samples as a means of finding Horatio," I said hurriedly. "I know you never meant to give Emil my blood."

Edward's face seemed to relax somewhat but he kept a firm grasp upon me, which I did not attempt to break free from.

"Can I ask you something," I said carefully. He nodded a small curious smile curving his lips.

"Whose side are you on in all of this, because judging by the things that have happened…"

"…I'm on our family's side Bella. I just want this whole thing to over so I can leave the Volturi once and for all. You can't imagine how horrible it was being with them for over a year," He said somewhat bitterly. "The only thing that made it easier was the knowledge that I was keeping you safe and alive."

I nodded and gave him a thankful smile before slowly starting to move away, but he held me in his grasp.

"Before we do this," he said carefully. "Before we go back to the Volturi and face whatever fate is in store for us I just need to know one last thing."

I waited not taking my eyes off him.

"Is there no hope for _us?_"

_Us? _He didn't surely mean our relationship, did he? After all that had happened he couldn't still be thinking that there was the slightest possibility.

"Edward, don't do this," I said wrenching myself out of his grasp and walking away. "We don't have time for this right now."

Edward's expression altered instantly. "I need to know Bella,"

I kept my mouth closed and resumed walking back towards the hillside. In a swift motion, Edward stood in front of me blocking my path. His eyes were blazing with black fire now.

"Don't walk away from me Bella!"

"I have nothing to say to you." I said attempting to push past him but he grabbed me roughly and pulled me closer to his chest with a growl. I averted my gaze and tried hard not to lose my control. I couldn't afford to at this point.

"Listen to me," he began. "I don't care how many times you have been with him, none of it matters to me Bella. You are _my mate_."

"But you are not mine…" I replied as calmly as I could manage.

"…and you're saying Carlisle is?" Edward interrupted furiously. "I know you Bella, and this…" he gestured to the engagement ring on my finger. "Isn't what you want."

I shook my head and suppressed the urge to throw him aside. "Yes it is, Edward, _he_ is everything that I want." I stated raising my eyes to meet his as I touched his cheek with my hand. "Just let me go"

"I can't Bella, I love you…" he stated simply bring his hand to take a hold of my wrist and guide my hand over his lips. I jerked it away and glared at the ground, wanting nothing more than to run back towards the hillside. Time was running out.

"You act like I am torn between the two of you, but I'm not Edward." I said carefully. "I love him and that's all there is to it, so please stop. We don't have time for this." I said turning and moving away at a slower pace than usual, determined not to be held up any more.

"Of course, how foolish of me," Edward called back humorlessly. "I mean you have time to screw my father during this critical time…"

I said nothing and instead continued to walk on. I wasn't in the mood for an argument, there were more pressing matters to attend to at the moment. As I heard Edward's swift footsteps draw nearer behind me, I broke into a run, feeling the wind whip through my hair and the forest around me became a blur. I tried to focus on something else because the situation with Edward was irrelevant. I concentrated on the fact that if Emil was still unaware of Horatio's absence, then hopefully we still had a chance to stop the battle from occurring. I held this thought in my head as I came out on to the hillside that was bathed in moonlight. The sky was clear and peppered with thousands of stars. I moved my eyes around the area looking out for any sign of the Volturi, after a few seconds I caught sight of a cluster of figures moving around in the darkness.

_What the…_

A sharp sense of foreboding had come over me. I scanned the area and saw the distinct outlines of dozens of figures moving fast in the midst of combat.

"Bella!" Charlotte's voice caught my ears and I ceased from struggling. I looked into her face that was, if it was possible, more white then ever before. Her ruby eyes were shining with fear.

_Uh oh._

"Where the hell have you been?" she cried frantically pulling me down towards the large crowd of moving figures.

"Edward wanted to talk," I muttered my throat was burning now and the vivid red haze was creeping upon on me again. But I was determined this time not to lose control. And within seconds I caught the familiar scent of apple and cinnamon on my tongue.

"We've been ambushed," Charlotte said hurrying along the hillside towards the source of the loud noise going across the hillside.

"What?!"

"Emil, he found out that we took Horatio and launched the attack, we didn't even get a chance to reveal the immortal child to the other covens."

The battle had begun and all this time I had been stuck with Edward, who was nowhere to be seen. A rush of panic filled every fiber within me and I ran

with Charlotte close beside me, tracing down there would be pointless now.

"When did it start?" I asked trying to keep myself calm.

"A couple of minutes ago," Charlotte said frantically. "I've just traced Horatio to the cabin to be with his sister, exposing him now is pointless."

Carlisle would be in the frontline risking his existence along with Jasper, Alice and the others. The thought of them dying by the hands of the Valhalla sent an icy chill down my spine.

Everything was happening so fast. It felt unreal as Charlotte drew me closer and closer to the figures running, lunging and targeting blades at their opponents. And then I heard a sharp snapping noise and a black figure threw themselves on Charlotte, knocking her to the ground. She screamed as the vampire bore down upon her, a blade raised to her throat. I hurtled onto, him pushing him aside. The blade slipped out from his hand and rolled beside Charlotte, she looked petrified.

The vampire aimed a hard blow to my jaw but I caught his wrist in my hand and threw him across the grassy floor. My eyes flickered as I heard Carlisle's voice from somewhere in the battle. "Alice watch out!" This was followed by a sharp ear splitting scream emitted from somewhere in the crowd. My heart plummeted and I glanced at the vampire who was scrambling to his feet; revealing a longer blade in his hand, he snarled and lunged straight for me. My eyes flickered and the haze clouded over my vision again. Flames erupted beneath the attacking vampire's feet and with an echoing shriek; he vanished into a cloud of ashes.

"Bella!" I heard Charlotte call and I turned to see Aro with a blood stained sword in his hand, his eyes wild with excitement. "Nice of you to join us Isabella," he called from somewhere among the crowd as he slashed at two guards.

I inclined my head and darted forward to aid him, sending a shower of flames over the two attacking vampires. Despite the chaos cascading around us, the Volturi still had time to give me a smile before vanishing into the crowd to resume the fight. I took a forward step and started to run into the battling crowd.

"Wait," Charlotte said taking my hand and stopping me. She pulled out the sword I had used during my training sessions in Volterra and handed it to me. "You'll need this," she said with a confident smile.

"No," I said pushing it into her hands. "You need it more than I do, just remember to trace away if someone aims to attack you."

Charlotte nodded and clenched the sword in her hand. We stood yards away, the blackened outskirts of the countryside filled with the sights and sounds of battle. I closed my eyes for a fraction of a moment lifting my shield and, keeping my thoughts upon the rest of the Cullens, The Denali and… although I wasn't sure why I allowed the shield to cover certain members of the Volturi. I could feel it like an invisible bubble.

"Are you ready?" Charlotte asked her voice somewhat shaky.

"As I'll ever be" I said feeling the point of my fangs meet my bottom lip. The tips of my finger nails felt sharper than usual and I took Charlotte by the hand as we ran towards the battle.

~To be continued.

* * *

**_A/N_**

Thoughts?

I am curious to see what you think of Horatio.

And I know some of you wanted Esme to be alive but in all honestly that would be a very unnecessary twist. Plus it would led to an icky situation between Carlisle and Bella, and we already have Edward's presence in the story to add the potential "love triangle" factor. The other reason is that I am biased. I adore Esme in the original books and I couldn't see her hiding away for years pretending to be dead.

Still confused about this whole story? If you have any questions do let me know.

Now the next chapter **will be devoted **entirely to the **battle **and I wanted to ask you all something before I complete the chapter.

_Who do you want to see exit this story? And by exit I mean be_** "killed off**_". I have my ideas on the matter, but I would like to hear yours as well because this is somewhat of a large factor in the overall result/conclusion of this story. Note that the story does still have a couple of chapters to go until it is finished. So if you have an idea or a suggestion now is the time to tell me._

_I'm going to recommend another FanFic on this site that has a great deal of potential. **Moonlit** By StormDragonFly. It is a Carlisle/Bella story very well written and a refreshingly different alternative to the story of Twilight. I highly recommend it._

Another side note: Music that inspired chapter 33...: http:// www (dot) youtube (dot) com /watch?v=8S1yQ303OeI

http:// www (dot) youtube (dot) com /watch?v=8S1yQ303OeI


	34. Chapter 34: The Battle

_I apologize for the long wait between chapters, my day is taken up by college studies and I only get a chance to write at night these days. _

_Thank you so much for reviewing ans subscribing. I am somewhat overwhelmed by how popular this story has become._

_Credit to Twilight-fan1015 for proof-reading this chapter. And ScarCharlotte whose analysis on this story influences me way too much._

_Recommended music: The Howling by Within Temptation._

_Treachery and violence are spears pointed at both ends;_

_they wound those who resort to them worse than their enemies._

_~ (Wuthering Heights : Chapter 17)_

**Chapter 34**

I felt Charlotte's hand leave my own as we ran into the fray of attacking new born vampires. The ground vibrated beneath my feet and there was a deafening sound of metal upon stone skin as the Valhalla guards engaged in combat with the Volturi guards. Felix and Eleazar were taking on three at a time, each of them dancing out of the guards' way as they brandished their weapons. There was a howl from behind me as Jasper slashed at the torso of a new born who threw himself at Jasper's throat. I darted forwards in what felt like a single step and launched a wave of flames over them. The atmosphere was completely different from what I had experienced during the many weeks of training back in Volterra. Of course back there I was in my comfort zone. The threats were so artificial and somewhat inferior to what I was experiencing now. The scene before my eyes was an ocean of chaos.

"Bella," Jasper said, glancing in my direction. "You need to find Emil; it's the only way to stop this."

All I could do was nod at him before he turned, sprinting off to aid Alice who was dancing between four Valhalla guards. Two of them seemed to be trying to influence their powers over her but my heavily protective shield deflected the effects back at the attackers. Both of them fell to the ground and seemed to be having an epileptic fit. Jasper was on them immediately and with a swift movement of his sword had put them out of their misery. As I watched this, I randomly sent waves of fire over any new born or Valhalla guard that dared come near me. There was no manic haze over my vision this time, no uncontrollable fire rising through me. I was complete in control.

"Look out!" the unseen voice called and I ran knocking guards out of my way and sending them flying back with as much strength as I could muster. Frantic screams and anguished cries could be heard all around the hillside and the emerald ground was already littered in scarlet and silver droplets. Rosalie and Charlotte were locked in a furious battle with Vladimir and a heavy set vampire with dirty blond hair, both of them were grinning menacingly. One sharp slash of Vladimir's sword went across Rosalie's shoulder ripping her top that was becoming slowly stained with a mixture of venom and blood. I let out a growl and launched myself upon them, but someone held me back.

"Son of a…." Emmett ran immediately past me as I jumped, waving the large sword at the guards. Vladimir, seeing what was about to happen, ducked and threw the heavy set vampire in front of him. Emmett's sword caught him and sent his head flying off his shoulders.

"Coward!" Charlotte and Rosalie cried as Vladimir disappeared into the frantically moving crowd. Emmett swore loudly as he dodged the wave of fire I had cast over the dead vampire reducing him to ash. "Are you okay, Rose?" I asked in a higher voice than usual. Rosalie leaned against Emmett, wincing as he pressed against her injured shoulder. "I'm fine; it should heal in a couple of minutes." She said. I wasted no time in moving again in the direction Vladimir had just gone. I looked around for any sign of Emil and more importantly Carlisle. A sudden sharp impact hit the back of my neck and sent a stinging sensation across my back.

I turned on the spot to see a female vampire with bright red hair glide towards me, a minute metal blade glinting in her left hand. Her huge body was both beautiful and mesmerizing; her crimson eyes were oddly glossy. I let out a high pitch sound that resembled a growl and threw myself upon her. She darted at lightening speed to the other side of me, and I missed her by inches. Three guards immediately came up to aid her but I knocked two of them off their feet and sent them smashing into the ground with a sickening crunch. The third guard had locked his arm around my throat and began twisting at my neck. The force of their grip was so tight that I was sure they would succeed in their attempt, the haze was coming over my eyes again and I could barely focus on my target of setting a fire on the guards.

"Bella! Bella, wait." a familiar voice called from behind me. I turned instantly on the spot, relief washing over me as I caught sight of my fiancé coming towards me. I felt my eyes widen at the sight of him, small patches of his sweater had been ripped in several places and specks of venom were dotted upon his arms. How long had I been gone for? I barely acknowledged time these days; everything seemed to go by so fast it was almost unreal.

The sudden motion of the female vampire seeing him approaching us brought my thoughts back to the present once more. I watched as she shot forward and jumped, attempting to smash into Carlisle. Hell would have to freeze over before I allowed anyone to cause any harm to him, particularly when I was present. I fixed my eyes on the female vampire and then, timing it just right, I sprang sideways and launched a full blown kick at her. I picked up my sword and ran aiming the sword at her back. She screamed in pain at the impact and fell backwards on to the ground inches from Carlisle's feet. I raised the sword over her neck but a firm hand grabbed my wrist.

"Bella don't…"

I looked at him in disbelief was he actually trying to stop me from finishing off this vampire who had just tried to kill him? I struggled to wriggle my wrist out of his grasp but seeing as that wasn't happening I settled for igniting a fire over the woman.

"…but she tried to kill you." I said steadily, keeping my sword raised.

"Yes I am aware of that but," and he stooped to his knees, examining the female vampire as she glared up at him with vague black eyes that seemed to be expressionless. It was odd because they looked so familiar to Edward's eyes these days; I had rarely seen them to be their usual golden color except for our time along in the forest. "She's been hypnotized Bella." Carlisle murmured quietly, breaking my trail of thought.

"What do we…" I began to say but the Female vampire spoke in a high pitched, far away voice, in effect cutting me off.

"Kill me" She said in a strained voice. "Please get him out of my head…" and the female sprang to her feet and stared at a particular spot behind us. "Master…" she whimpered and the vampire then ran head long in to the crowd out of site. Instinctively I glanced in the same direction to where she had looked, hoping to catch a glimpse of Emil. But all I could see was the sea of many black hooded figures and flashes of silver metal against ice white skin.

"Get down Bella" Carlisle called and I whipped my head around just as four more guards threw themselves over the both of us. I sprang out of the way, preparing to defend whilst silently cursing my lack of concentration before beginning the battle between two of the guards.

"How do you know that woman?" I asked pushing one of the guards backwards and then aiming a swift kick into their chest.

"She's with an Irish coven that I'm acquainted with," Carlisle said swinging around and dodging the slashing attempts made by the other two guards. He kept me close behind him, shielding me from their attacks.

"How many other covens do you think Emil's got under his control?" I asked trying to move in front of him. He moved his sword swiftly and sent both guards to the ground with deep cuts in their chest and face. Carlisle finished taking a step back and exhaling deeply as I ignited fire over the remains of the guards. There was just the slightest hint of sadness in his eyes as he looked at me.

"A lot and the only way to stop them is to destroy Emil" he said looking around at the chaotic scene before us. "Stay close beside me."

I obeyed, although I had half a mind to say that I was stronger and didn't need protecting that much. But I kept silent and we moved quickly through the crowd battling the many guards and new born that came our way. There was still no sign of Edward anywhere around the field, but at the moment Edward's presence was the least of my worries. At every moment guards were charging upon us left right and centre.

"I'm sorry I took so long to come," I said in a hurried tone. Carlisle cast me a reassuring smile that seemed to warm every fiber of my being. "You have no need to apologize Bella; no one could have expected this to happen." He said. I frowned slightly as we began running again, dodging the guards as we did so. A tiny fragment of my mind kept pondering over whether or not Edward had held me back on purpose? I didn't have much time to think about it because minutes later Carlisle had launched himself upon guards sending them to the ground. I hurried to aid him, moving aside to ignite a wave of flames from the ground, encapsulating many guards.

I kept a secure distance to Carlisle, making sure he was out of the line of fire. There was a rapid movement from close beside me and a dozen more new born vampires hurtled upon us, one half of the split to attack Carlisle. The other half came charging towards me with the full intention of preventing me from protecting him. The many swords clashed violently with each other as we defended ourselves. For what felt like hours I circled around them continuously, whilst keeping a good view of Carlisle as I did so.

Three of the guards slashed their blades at me at the same time causing me to fall backwards with a muffled cry of agony, a stinging sensation erupting from my abdomen. I tired to get to my feet but two of them threw themselves over me, wrestling the sword from my hand.

My mind was in such disarray that it was impossible for me to launch flames over the guards without hitting Carlisle. I struggled desperately, kicking one of them off with a closely shot aim from my foot. The other vampire immediately flipped me over onto my stomach and kept my face focused on the scene where Carlisle was battling, with the aid of Jasper and Emmett who had charged into the fray. I felt a pair of hands clasp tightly around the back of my neck.

"Where's the child?" the voice I recognized to be Demetri's snapped.

"You actually think I'm going to tell you? After all that you have done?"

The edge of a blade slid just beneath my throat and Demetri leaned in closer whispering close to my ear. "And what is it that I have done exactly…?"

"You're in league with the Valhallas. You set up the Cullens with the immortal child and murdered Esme!" I said furiously attempting to free myself.

There was no hint of surprise in this tone as he spoke. "Very good Isabella, did you work that out for yourself or did the abomination tell you?" He chuckled lightly. I let out a small scream and continued trying to get him off me, but it was impossible at this point. The position I was in had rendered me useless.

"I'm not going to let half a century worth of planning go to waste because of some abomination. Now tell me where he is."

The tip of the blade shifted slightly and a sharp stinging sensation erupted in my neck. A trickle of what felt like venom mixed with blood streaked down from where he has slashed at my stone-like skin. I let out a high pitched scream of fury that caused the blade in Demetri's hand to shatter.

"Last chance Isabella…" Demetri began to say but a loud growl cut him short and I felt Demetri's weight leave me as someone him off me. I rolled over and got to my feet looking around to see Edward, circling around Demetri. A snarl left his lips as he engaged in a frantic clash with Demetri who was putting up a surprisingly good fight. The randomness of his appearance had taken me quite off guard. I looked around hurriedly, checking to see that Carlisle was still close by and currently in the midst of battling with the guards along side Emmett and Jasper.

There was a loud rushing sound and the familiar figure of my best friend came into view a short distance away.

"Get back Edward!" Charlotte yelled as she hurled forwards, looking a little worse for ware. She pushed Edward aside as Demetri swung a heavy blow on to her shoulder. I immediately darted forward the aid them in the struggle and as I did so more guards launched themselves upon us. The clash continued for several minutes with most of the guards only managing to achieve minor injuries on us. I kept my shield firmly over each of our fellow clan members blocking their oncoming attacks.

"I should have known all along it was you," Charlotte cried out, wincing as she rubbed her shoulder.

"Did you actually think I was going to put up being second best?" Demetri said laughing manically. "Always hiding away and pretending not to exist the way Aro wanted us to be." He slashed at her again and again, battling furiously with all his might. "If you had any brains Charlotte you would be fighting with me not against me."

"I don't side with pathetic criminals Demetri," Charlotte said connecting the tip of her sword with his face, causing him to jump back.

"When this is over human kind will have a new race to deal with," Demetri spat.

Charlotte traced around to Demetri's other side and aimed another hit to his back.

"You're mad!" she replied in a higher pitched voice. The next moment Vladimir had sprang out of nowhere and landed beside Demetri. He launched himself upon Charlotte and her scream echoed about the hillside and I knew in her panic she would be unable to trace. I sprang from the ground and pulled Demetri off the struggling Charlotte.

"Get away from her…" I snapped as Vladimir pulled Charlotte aside. The back of my clawed hand caught the side of his face and knock him backwards. Vladimir crashed into a tree and caused the trunk to crack in several places before it toppled over with a deafening sound.

"Leave Charlotte, you're only putting yourself in danger here." Edward called as he sprinted forwards to aid us in the struggle. Demetri immediately flung himself on him and wrestling him to the ground.

Charlotte ignored him and instead dived headlong into a cluster of newborns and began battling each of them. I took care in igniting the fire, making sure I didn't catch anyone from my side

In the midst of the struggle I couldn't help but notice that most of Edward's clothes were burnt in several places and were emitting a strong smell of petrol.

Where the hell had he disappeared to?

"Bella!" Edward yelled as Demetri seized him around the neck and began trying to wrenching his head off his shoulders.

I shot forwards dodging the on slough of attacking Valhalla guards and threw myself over Demetri's back.

The anguished cries from Charlotte almost drowned out the sound of the many Valhalla guards screaming out to the crowd.

I managed to free Edward from Demetri's grasp and throw him on the ground with a forceful thud. Immediately Edward sprang to his feet and raised his sword over him.

"Look out!" I called, but too late. Vladimir had emerged out of nowhere and slashed into the back of Edward with a heavy blade resembling that of an axe. Charlotte hurried forwards just as I ignited a wave of flames over Vladimir who narrowly missed them.

"Let go of him," Charlotte screaming jumping on top of Vladimir's back and attempting to wrench the weapon off him. I was hurrying to Charlotte's aid as

Edward was lying motionless on the ground; deep set cracks masking his features, a silvery colored liquid, I knew to be venom ran down his arms.

"Bella!" in the frantic struggle, I heard Charlotte's last cry she struggled to fight Vladimir off; I saw Demetri beckoning to the guards as he launched the blade over her.

"Trace Charlotte!" I called frantically trying to get a clear shot of Demetri, but there were too many guards blocking me. There was a terrifying scream, a sickening thud and Charlotte moved no more.

"NO!" I cried struggling to get through as the familiar reddish haze clouded over my vision once more. It couldn't have happened it was no way she was gone, she had the ability to avoid even Demetri's rapid movements.

Demetri turned and looked at me, he smirked triumphantly. "Such a pity, I was quite fond of her…" he smirked. I felt my control shattered like glass, fury beyond all that I had ever experienced was coursing through my veins like poison. I screamed just as Demetri darted forward to attack.

I jumped aside and slashed the tip of my sword at his chest. Demetri staggered his eyes gleaming menacingly as he fell back inches away from the ring of fire I had ignited from the ground behind him. I watch as he crouched low, narrowly missing the flames as he prepared himself to jump. And then tip of a sword slashed cleanly across his neck and Demetri fell back into the fire within seconds nothing but ashes lay where the traitor had once stood. I looked up to see Carlisle standing mere inches away from me, the sword still clutched in his hands.

I barely heard the approving cries from Jasper and Emmett as they bound forward. My voice was a choked up in a sob laced in anger and sorrow. I couldn't speak. I felt numb and hollow, almost like I had when I was human. My eyes were burning with tears that I could not shed. I took a deep breath, pointless though it was; the effect seemed to help a little. There was a sudden movement from the left and as I glanced I saw Edward stir, roll over on to his side and hurriedly get to his feet. The cracks in his face were slowly fading away now. He looked from the motionless figure of Charlotte to the pile of ashes and then to where we were standing.

"How gallant of you Carlisle, rescuing your fair maiden in distress." Vladimir's voice sounded loudly from my left side. "It's a shame you couldn't do the same thing with your wife." I turned and caught sight of him vanishing into the crowd of battling guards. A sudden spurt of anger flood through me and I jumped forward, past Edward and sprinted head long into the crowd. Carlisle was racing after the fleeing figure of Vladimir; evidently his words had touched a nerve.

"Bella!" I heard Edward and Jasper call after me but I took no notice. I had to find Vladimir and Emil. I had to end this ridiculous confusion once and for all before anymore died.

My path became more and more clustered with guards as I continued relentlessly onwards. I didn't bother defending myself with a sword any more; I simply cast flames over any guard that came in my pathway. It was much easier in any case.

On and on I ran igniting flames on the ground as I did so. I caught sight of Alice, Carmen and Tanya each of them putting up a good defense against the onslaught of newborns. I wondered for a brief moment whether or not Alice had seen Charlotte's death, because most of her premonitions these days had been wrong, leading to near fatal consequences; the confusion with Esme and Alyssa for instance.

"Duck!" Carlisle called as three male vampires threw themselves into the pathway we were headed. I dodged them easily, throwing myself aside; one vampire caught Carlisle with a heavy blow at his torso and knock him backwards. He landed with a thud on the grassy ground.

"You're fighting the wrong side Isabella," Emil's silkily voice sounded from somewhere behind me. I could see the crowd parting slightly to make way from their master. I glared up at him as he brandished his sword at me. I moved aside, casting a torrent of fire where he was standing. Emil dodged past them effortlessly stepping right into the clearing in the crowd where Vladimir had just fled. Aro was centre in the middle engaged in a fierce clash with four guards at once, all hell bent on tearing apart any inch of him they could reach. Jane, Chelsea and Caius were positioned on the right hand side a few yards away from Aro; each of them tackling a cluster of Valhalla guards who were putting up a good fight.

"Some assistance would be much appreciated Isabella," Aro called and as I looked up to see the leader of the Volturi dodge the three blades that swung dangerously near his neck.

"I'll be right beside you," Carlisle said as I turned to meet his gaze.

We pulled away before I launched myself into the fray knocking two of the guards aside. Flames flew up from the ground just as they landed upon it and a torrent of screams filled the air as the vampires faded away into ash. Two down, only two more to go. I resumed striking the remaining two guards with Aro who was keeping a clear distance as he aided me in the attack.

"Look out!" Carlisle cried as he bounded close beside us preventing any more of the guards from joining in our battle. Instinctively, I set another wave of fire over the guards setting them ablaze as they lunged for the Volturi members. I was actually defending the Volturi, I could scarcely believe myself.

"Master," Jane called running forwards and wiping traces of blood and venom

from her face. "Its Chelsea, Emil's caught her."

"What?!" Aro cried as he lowered his sword. "No if he kills here we're in even more trouble. Caius, Jane, find Emil and bring him to me. Carlisle, take Isabella and find Marcus…"

"Why do we to have find Marcus?" I asked puzzled. Catching Emil was surely the better thing to do than simply finding Marcus. But before Aro could reply Carlisle had seized my hand and led me away at a fast pace towards the denser part of the forest. The sound of many screams and yells could be hear from within.

"Carlisle why do we…"

"If Emil kills Chelsea then Marcus will no doubt turn against Aro." He said frantically looking around for a sign of him.

"But why?"

"Aro's had Marcus under Chelsea's control for the past three centuries Bella."

I was about to ask why for what felt like the third time in a row when suddenly I caught sight of Emil fighting two to one with Chelsea and Eleazar. A small cluster of newborns were blocking anyone from joining in to aid the two in the battle. Jane and Caius were struggling furiously against them. From what I could see Chelsea was no match for Emil's immense strength.

"On the count of three," Carlisle said clasping my hand tightly. "One," I crouched down low preparing myself to spring. "Two…three."

The entire forest became a blur as I ran headlong into the fight, keeping my eyes on my target. Emil.

Carlisle hand slipped from my own as the guards began to charge upon us. I fell back and flipped in mid air, slashing at two of them as they jumped to me. My sword connected with their necks severing them instantly. Growls and scream could be heard from all angles. I looked to my right and saw Carlisle and Eleazar struggling with the rest of the Valhalla guards. I crouched low again desperately seeking a gap to get to Emil, although I still didn't understand why protection was so important.

After a moment I saw my chance and sprinted forwards launching flames close beside Emil.

"Get back Bella!" I heard Edward call from my right side and I felt his arm reach out to stop me. Instinctively I pushed him off and gained another taste of the petrol like smell from his clothes. "You cover Chelsea, I'll get Emil" he said. And before I could say another word Edward had slashed his way to the Valhalla leader, leaving a clean spot toward Chelsea open for me. I wasted no time in running forward gritting my teeth together as I did so. The rest of the Cullens and Denalis were approaching now, Alice was dancing out of the way of several attackers at once.

"Destroy them all!" Vladimir roared and I saw it. Emil pouncing on Chelsea, gripping her throat in his claw like hands. Jane shot forwards to him fixing her deadly gaze on his countenance. Wham. Vladimir's sword caught her firmly in the chest and she fell back wincing in pain. Alec immediately exerted his power over Vladimir instantly blinding him. I didn't bother to watch the rest, but my ears distinctly caught the sound of metal connecting with stone and I knew that Vladimir was no more. I cast my gaze back to Emil to see him dragging Chelsea's away as she struggled uselessly. I ran after them casting flames over every inch of Emil I could reach, he dodged them effortlessly and continued towards the side of the hill I knew Aro was with Marcus.

"You're fighting the wrong side Isabella," he called grinning as I chased after him.

"Let her go Emil,"

"But she is my back-up dear Isabella,"

"For what?"

"With her influence over Marcus gone, I will use him to destroy Aro, leaving me unstoppable…" he said just as I jump forwards and spun in midair landing right on top of several guards that had chosen to tackle me at that moment.

"Why would Marcus attack Aro?" I asked as I fought desperately in a effort to gain a view of Chelsea.

"Because Aro murdered Marcus's mate… Didyme." Emil said, and then I heard Chelsea's screaming die out almost the same instant Emil slashed at her throat. I watched as her limb figure fell to the floor before I could stop it.

Aro had killed Marcus's mate and had used Chelsea to keep the bonds between Marcus and the Volturi stable. And for what… power and greed? I felt somewhat sickened at the prospect. If this was indeed true than Aro deserved to die and Marcus deserved revenge, but at what cost? To have Emil and the Valhalla's launch world domination of vampires over human kind? Would I let that happen?

_No. _

Perhaps I could distract Emil with something in a effort to ward him off Marcus and Aro.

"You'll never win Emil, even after you murdered Esme Carlisle still refused to join you and you need us to win this." I called casting flames over at Emil's feet. Unfortunately he dodged them and continued circling around me.

"Dear Isabella, how ignorant you are… I didn't kill Esme solely to gain Carlisle support," he said, mimicking my movements. "The Cullens clan are very influential in the vampire realm and the idea of the Volturi killing the Patriarch's wife is criminal to many other covens…"

I slashed at him with my sword but he managed to block me with his own and engaged in a brief clash of metal on metal.

"So you used the lie that the Volturi killed Esme in order for the other Covens to fight with you?" I saw aiming my sword at his neck

Emil grinned and then dodged my attack. "Very good Isabella, it is a shame however that you will not be around to see my victory…" he pointed a finger over my shoulder and I whipped around to see Vladimir and several other guards launch themselves upon me. When I looked back Emil had vanished again and I couldn't chase him even if I wanted to. The guards were determined on finishing me off this time.

"Bella!" Alice sprinting up towards me looking a little worse for wear behind her I could see Jasper and Emmett hurrying forwards to help me. "Bella, you have to get to Aro."

"I can't Alice," I said angrily. "I have to deal with this lot first…"

"…we'll take care of them just go Bella, please." Alice said desperately. I contemplated for a moment in the midst of the fighting and then, knowing that Alice had probably already seen the outcome of fate. Agreed with a nod and ran up to the main scene of the fighting, and it was there that I saw him.

The two elders of the Volturi engaged in a clash of swords with Emil and Vladimir, Aro seemed to be battling all three of them at once. Although I couldn't make a clear distinction.

Marcus was defending himself fiercely with the sword and behaving a manner that I had never seen in him before. His eyes wide as though he had just been awaken from a deep sleep. He looked around and caught sight of Aro standing inches away from him. For a split second I could have sworn I had seen Aro back away, raising his sword slightly.

There were no Volturi guards to defend Aro now, each of them were in combat with the Valhallas. Emil's plan it seemed had gone excessively well.

"Don't be foolish Marcus; you know it was an accident!" Aro said sternly looking anything but fearful.

"Liar!" Marcus screamed in fury, the first time I had ever seen him do such a thing. He then charged for Aro who dodged him my inches and then they began frantically dueling with their swords.

I hurried forward to aid Aro in the battle, even though the very thought of it made me shudder. Emil blocked my path and then with a manic glint in his eye yelled. "NOW!"

And every single Valhalla guard charged on the scene towards me. The Volturi, Denalis and the Cullens raced after them. Within minutes I was fighting again with guards and newborns, frantically trying to get to where Aro, Marcus were and Emil.

The entire seen was a chaotic mess and I was beginning to have serious doubts onto who was going to come out victorious from this.

In the midst of the fighting I saw Carlisle knocking an attacking guard his feet and kicked his weapon aside before ending his existence.

"Do something Bella!" Rosalie shouted as she and Felix raised their sword again as more newborns started to attack. There was no way anyone was going to be able to get through the oceanic crowd. Unless I took a risk and set flames upon the scene. I looked towards Aro who was only just visible still fighting furiously with Emil and Marcus and then back at the crowd.

I concentrated my mind on the target and ignited a gigantic ring of flames around the scene, causing a large number of guards to scatter clearing the path for me. I ran occasionally sending more fire over anyone who came near me, closer and closer I was to reaching Emil. If I could only just reach him that would end the main part of the problem.

"Bella," Edward called jumping out from the scattering crowd to stand in front of me.

"Not now Edward, if you want to help then help just don't get in my way…"

"I can divert Emil while you get a hold over Marcus" Edward said quickly running a few steps ahead of me to them.

"This is the end Aro," Emil hissed triumphantly as Marcus slashed at his face, sending a silver streak of venom to run across Aro's cheek.

"Half the clans of the Vampire nation are under my control, you have no chance of winning." Emil said as he came up to stand inches always from a low hanging oak tree.

"Want to bet?" Edward called slamming himself into the tree and causing the entire body to topple over directly on the Emil who yet out a yell and dodged it by inches.

Emil turned and fixed his intent gaze on Edward once more. "It won't work Emil. Your mind tricks are useless now, and you can't affect me any more." Edward said as he threw himself over Emil, knocking him to the ground and began attacking any inch of him he could reach.

I raced after Aro and Marcus, both still dueling with each other. The only way this would stop is if one of them dies, but I couldn't justify killing Marcus who was innocent in all of this. And destroying Aro would out the entire existence of human kind at risk. I had to hand it to Emil this was a horrible situation to be put in. How was I going to stop this?

"Almost three hundred years I remained under your thumb Aro, three hundred years and now I get to have my revenge. You let your thirst for power get the better of you and now you will die because of it." Marcus said the tip of his blade was a blur in the clash.

"You're making a mistake Marcus, I never meant to…"

"Do not lie to me Aro, I know you too well for that."

Slash. Marcus launched a final swing from his sword and it caught Aro neatly on the chest causing him to double back and fall to the floor.

Flames burst from the ground between Aro and Marcus just as he raised his sword to finish Aro. Thankfully the fire was blocking both of them from having any contact with one another.

"Don't do this Marcus, don't stoop to his level." I said quickly.

"You do not understand…" Marcus began but a voice, so familiarly that I knew if I had been alive it would have made my heart skip a beat, and spoke softly from behind me.

"I do Marcus," Carlisle said, evidently fully aware of the situation we were having here.

Marcus raised his sword and shook his head, looking between the two of us. "You do not…"

"Yes I do, my wife was killed the same as yours was. And I too thought Aro was responsible, but even then I never considered gaining revenge for it. I wasn't going to reduce myself to such a level because I knew Esme wouldn't appreciate such a gesture. And even when I discovered the truth and that Emil and his coven had set up the whole thing all along I still never desired revenge. I am a bigger person than that…"

Marcus snorted in mock amusement and continued to desperately get past the flames to Aro who was now standing and looking warily at the fire. "You don't know what it is like Carlisle, neither of you understand."

"If you kill me you'll be playing right in to Emil and the Valhallas hands Marcus," Aro said warningly.

"I will see that our old nemesis is destroyed once and for all but first…" he didn't have a chance to finish his sentence for Felix had flung himself out of nowhere and knocking Marcus aside, landing on the grass a few yards away. Rosalie was following close behind him looking disheveled. "Bella, its Edward…" she said hastily. "Emil's already over powering him and we're trying to help but the guards are blocking us. A few of the Volturi guards and have been killed and…"

"If I don't protect Aro, Emil will…"

"I'll stay with Aro, go Bella." Carlisle said.

"But you…"

"We can hold them off, just go and deal with Emil."

I nodded in spite of myself and darted back up the hill with Rosalie following close beside me. I dared not look back as more Valhalla guards began edging ever closer.

"Is it true about Charlotte?" she asked as we ran up to where Edward and Emil were still in combat. "Yes..." I said without looking at her.

"I'm sorry Bella…"

"…it's fine let's just get this over with." I said as we reached the edge of the forest. Emil had been joined by another new born the pair of them were fighting to the very inch of their existence.

The flames were dancing wildly from the ground catching the last remaining guards that were still in the battle, most of the Valhalla guards had been destroyed.

I raised my sword and charged forward colliding with Vladimir's back blocking him as he struck Edward. Rosalie struck him on the left side and dodged a well aimed blow from Emil.

"Shouldn't you be protecting your master Isabella?" Emil asked ducking as I struck a well aimed kick at his chest.

"He can handle himself; you're my main target here." I said swiping my sword around and connecting to the back of new born's neck. He stumbled directly to Edward who swung around and threw him straight into the flames. Emil growled in fury upon losing his second in command. He manically began attacking us, but I was too quick for him. I succeeded in knocking him backwards on to the ground just as a large ring of flames encircled around him, imprisoning him.

Edward lowered his sword and wiped the traces of blood off his face, looking at me with an expression of admiration and curiosity. "You could finish him off…"

"I know," I said exhaling deeply and taking a step back. "But I want the truth to be revealed, and all this confused to be dealt with once and for all." I turned around as I spoke and glanced to the point further down the hill where I knew Aro and Carlisle were.

"Round up the others and get Horatio," I said lowering my sword and beginning to walk away. "I'll fetch Aro…"

Edward frowned for a second and then nodded. "Be careful Bella,"

I smiled and hurriedly sprinted off down the hillside again leaving Emil cocooned in the deadly flames.

The sight that greeted me as I approached sent a jolt to run right down along my spine. Purple smoke was billowing around a particular spot were the newborns and no doubt a few of the Volturi guards had been destroyed. Aro was positioned on the ground with Felix who was tying a strip of material around a wound on his arm.

It was beyond the cloud of smoke that I saw Carlisle, lying motionless on the grass.

"Carlisle," I said falling to my knees beside his motionless figure. "Carlisle?" his eyes were closed and a look of utter peace lingered about his face that was lined with many cracks. I ran my fingers over the black and purple circles forming around his eye lids. "Wake up." I murmured shaking him a little. There was no response. No reply. Nothing. My entire body went numb all of a sudden as I gazed at the wounds upon his chest, neck and arms. They still remained unhealed. A heavy sensation came over me, burning every inch of my being.

"Carlisle!" I cried out desperately. And then I felt a hand, Aro's hand over my shoulder. "Isabella…"

"What did you do to him?" I cried shaking him off me and patting Carlisle on the chest.

Aro continued to keep a firm grasp on me in the act of trying to lead me away. "I was not responsible for this Isabella."

_Liar _

"Don't touch me!" I wrenched my arm away and push him down a few yards on the ground away from me.

"He's lost too much blood and venom Bella, no vampire can..."

"No, no" I was hitting him repeatedly now, completely unaware of the many others standing around me. Carlisle wasn't dead, he couldn't be, it was impossible, it had to be. No limbs had been severed, and no fire had come into contact with him.

"Isabella…" he was back beside me again clasping his fingers around my arm.

"…I'm not giving up on him," I said determinately as I felt him beginning to pull me away. I struggled and pushed him off me, knocking him to the ground a few yards away. The venom was burning in my eyes and I felt numb, I couldn't move. Reality was sinking it. My soul was frozen and for the first time I felt dead inside. But he couldn't be dead; if he had lost blood and venom then surely he could be revived with some nourishment. But did I have time to hunt, to find something to revive him? _No I didn't, unless by some miracle a deer came running past us._

The sound of swift movement erupted all around me and I turned sharply thinking it was more of the Valhalla guards. But it was only Edward, sprinting up to my side followed by his two brothers. Aro was being beckoned to the sight where I had left Emil imprisoned in the cage of flames.

"Bella," Edward began to say.

"Don't come near me." I crouched over Carlisle, and gently with my fingers parted his lips. I then pulled away the sleeve of my sweater and raised my wrist to my mouth. I sank my fangs into my wrist, breaking the stone like barrier. The blood and venom began to pour out and I hurriedly placed it over Carlisle's mouth, allowing its content to fill him. I stroked his hair with my other free hand, and watched him.

For how long I sat there I knew not, whether it was minutes or hours it didn't matter. Edward tried on several attempts to pull me away, but Jasper and Emmett held him off. I barley heard what anyone else was saying, my senses were melting away very slowly. My wrist slipped slightly and I rested my head upon his chest, closing my eyes; praying to any higher power in the clouds that he would live, that he would come back.

I felt so weak and the familiar burning in my throat had increased again. It grew worse as time went on and still Carlisle didn't stir. "Bella," Edward said as he came up beside me and kneeled down next to Carlisle. "You've done all you can." he said seriously.

I nodded, my eyes burning and venom slowly falling down my face. I pulled my arm away slowly. The deep cut began to heal my wrist back to normal once more. Edward placed an arm around my shoulder and gave me a squeeze. I stared down at him and I buried my face in my hands, allowing misery to overcome me. For a short period I completely forgot where I was; and that only a few yards from where we stood, a chaotic battle was taking place. It all seemed so pointless now.

"You couldn't have prevented this." Jasper said in a miraculously calm voice as he came up to stand beside us. I felt Edward rise to his feet and help me up, supporting me as he did so.

I didn't bother looking around at the scene of the aftermath. Not even the Volturi or the fate of Emil could interest me at this point.

"I should go and get Alice and Rose," I heard Emmett say from somewhere close by.

"There is no need Emmett." Edward said coolly and as I looked up I saw to the shadow of two figures running towards us. I recognized them instantly to be Rosalie and Alice.

"Oh no…" Alice called as she ran and threw her arms around Jasper. "No, he can't be I never saw him..." Alice was speaking very fast and seemed to have forgotten anyone else was there.

"So much for a celebratory victory." Rosalie said delicately as she came to stand beside Emmett.

"I can't believe this." Alice murmured in a sob. "I should have seen this…"

"Your visions haven't been accurate recently," I said in a disbelieving tone, looking at her with raised eye brows.

Alice looked up from Jasper's shoulder and fixed her eyes on me. "That's not my fault." she gasped out.

"Darlin' nobody is blaming you." Jasper said slowly. Alice broke away from him and looked down at Carlisle, shaking her head. "Why do I keep getting these wrong?" she asked, shaking her head. "I keep seeing these things and they almost always end up being wrong."

"You saw him die Alice," I said. "Remember? When we were in the library researching Emil you told me that you kept seeing him die."

Alice bit her lip and frowned. "It kept changing, as the days went by I began to see things…differently." She rested her head on Jasper's shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Bella," Edward said slowly. "You know what you have to do now."

I nodded and as much as I dreaded doing this, especially so quickly I knew it had to be done. Deceit vampires had to be destroyed almost immediately after death.

I stared down at Carlisle and I buried my face in my hands, allowing misery to come over me before. For a short period I completely forgot where I was for that moment. "I can't," I mumbled. "I can't do this…"

I collapsed onto my knees beside him again. I should have known this would happen. Our relationship and love was, as Alice had said on many occasions, going against fate. My mind lingered back to the brief moment when we had been in Paris, and I had seen Carlisle glancing over the quote from my diary. The quote from Tennyson's poem on Lancelot and Guinevere;

"_A man had given up all other bliss,  
And all his worldly worth for this,  
To waste his whole heart in one kiss  
Upon her perfect lips"_

I hadn't told him what the quote was for fear that he would read into it too much. And attempt to rid the conclusion I had drawn from our relationship out of my mind. _Lancelot and Guinevere. Romeo and Juliet. Hamlet and Ophelia perhaps?_

I buried my head in his chest. "I'm sorry," I whispered hoarsely. "I should have protected you better." It felt like at this point the pieces of my heart, though nonfunctional, had been torn away. I was cold, cold as a loveless thing.

I pressed my lips to his forehead "I love you," I murmured and I moved down to kiss his cheek. "And I will never stop loving you." My lips connected with his once, twice. His scent was still there, although it was slightly mixed with my own. Perhaps I was imagining it but I felt the tiniest hint of a response…

~To be continued.

_A/N_

_Thoughts? _

_Is Carlisle really dead?_

_Do you think Alice and Edward are behaving in a suspicious manner?_

_What has become of Marcus? And will Emil be imprisoned or executed?_

_Let me say that I realise that this chapter was the longest I have written. In fact it came up to twenty-six pages on Microsoft Word and I knew I couldn't post the entire lot here. So I cut it in half and will use the rest for the next upcoming chapter, which will be posted within the next week._

_**Thank you for reading.**_

**_~ December Eclipse._**


	35. Chapter 35: The Solemn Hour

_**Author's note:**_

_I fear that a small number of you will loathe me after this chapter. And to be honest I don't blame you if you do. _

_Thank you so much to everyone for reviewing the previous chapter. I love hearing your comments and suggestions towards the story._

_And the new subscribers I thank you for reading my story thus far._

_**DISCLAIMER: All the ********Twilight characters in this story belong to S. Meyer. In the creation of this story no copyright infringement is intended. The plot lines, Original Characters, and details of **__Beyond the Broken Scars_ belong to December Eclipse. Reposting or Plagiarism of this story in any fashion is classified as theft. No copying or reproduction of this story is permitted unless written authorization from the author is given. 

_Proof read by: Twilight-fan1015_

_Recommended music: All I Need ~ Within Temptation_

**Chapter 35**

_**The Solemn Hour**_

_I know that ghosts have wandered on earth. _

_Be with me always, __take any form. _

_Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you._

~Wuthering Heights

I pulled away and gazed at the motionless figure of my fiancé. How was I going to do this? To reduce him to ashes and never see his face or feel his touch again. I would never hear his voice as we engaged in hour long conversations.

I was losing my companion, my best friend, my... _soul mate_.

An odd sensation suddenly came over me, like an invisible weight had been placed over my entire body. It felt like an invisible force was recoiling back to me. My throat was dry and it burned fiercer than ever before.

"Bella," Edward murmured from close beside me. "I know this is difficult for you but…"

"…You expect me to just blink and reduce the man I love to dust?" I said weakly, not taking my eyes off Carlisle. It just wouldn't register that he was gone and he would never come back to me.

"No," Edward said somewhat coolly. "But removing the shield isn't going to bring him back."

_What on earth was he talking about? I haven't removed my protective shield._

"Then why can I read your mind?" he said answering the question I had just thought.

I blinked in an effort to rid the feeling of the invisible weight. It was growing stronger and pushing me down. "You can read my…" I could see the astonishment in the others faces. Each of us remained silent for what left like an age until finally Alice spoke.

"If you remove the shield Emil will get away and the remainder of his guards will attack us again!" She gazed apprehensively over Jasper's shoulder as though expecting to see a storm of guards to come down over on us.

"I'm not doing it on purpose Alice!" I said.

"Then what's causing you to?" Emmett asked but I was only half listening. The pain, the misery and the darkness seemed to be consuming me. I couldn't fight it. And then I realized that I didn't want to.

_Carlisle_

"He's not causing this Bella," Edward said as he put his arms around me. I pushed him away, shaking my head as I did so. "I promised him that I would stay strong." I said in a vague voice that didn't resemble my own at all.

I made to stand on my feet, but the weight over me had reached its limit. I closed my eyes and felt my entire body collapse to the ground.

"_Bella, Bella?" the frantic voices cried above me. From the ebony chamber that my conscious mind had fallen into I pondered whether or not I was in a coma. Or I had left the living land, rid my self of this limited immortality and gone into the apparently nonexistent afterlife. _

"_I think she drained herself out when she treated Carlisle," I heard Rosalie groan. "Edward give her your..."_

"_No, no" I heard Jasper say as he crouched down beside me and touched my cheek. "It's got nothing to do with blood and venom Rose."_

_Alice let out an exasperated sound and said through clenched teeth. "Then what is it then?" A sudden eruption of sound met my ears and I could hear the familiar sounds coming from beyond the hillside. It could be possible for the battle to have begun again._

"_Her emotions, I can feel them." Jasper replied moving his hand to my forehead. "They're in complete disarray and I bet it's because of the bond."_

"_Bond?" Edward snapped. "Jasper have you lost your…"_

"…_He is talking about the bond between them," a new voice, Eleazar's voice sounded a short distance from where we all were. I was somewhat surprised that he was still alive and that the Valhallas hadn't killed them. "We have to hurry her shield is weakening and if we wait any longer the entire vampire realm could be in danger of Emil's victory." _

_The noise was growing louder as the minutes went by and still I could not rise from this blackness. _

"_But Emil's imprisoned in a circle of fire." Emmett said frantically._

_I heard Eleazar sigh impatiently. "And those flames will die out unless Bella is revived. I kept forgetting how sensitive a new born is"_

"_Are you saying Carlisle's demise is the cause of Bella's…?" Edward asked heatedly._

"_Yes, rare though it is for such bonds to be strong, it is possible." Eleazar said and I felt him run a hand over my neck._

"_Her emotions are the most powerful thing she possesses, and as a new born Bella is still a novice when it comes to managing them." he added._

"_We know," Jasper said shrewdly. "During the confrontation back in Valhalla manor Bella completely lost it, practically burnt the whole mansion down."_

"_How did you manage to calm her down?" Eleazar asked and I heard him shift aside slightly._

"_We didn't," Edward said shortly. "Carlisle seemed to be the only one who can. He arrived shortly afterwards and took her away. She put up a good fight, but he managed to control her."_

_Eleazar murmured in agreement as though this news was merely confirmation to what he knew already. "Then only Carlisle can help her in this case." _

"_But he's dead Eleazar!" Rosalie said in an impatient tone. Her words seem to cut through me like a razorblades._

_There was a short pause and I could distinctly hear Eleazar shift further away from me and begin hitting something hard. "You can do better than this," he muttered._

"_I really don't think…" Edward began but Eleazar cut across him._

"_Edward, I have been around for many centuries and have had more experience in these matters."_

"_What matters?" Edward scoffed furiously. "He is dead and she is just in shock and probably overcome with thirst too."_

"_You know that's not the problem here Edward," _

"_I am her soul mate; surely it is within my ability to…"_

"…_Enough!" Eleazar said sharply. "Edward there is nothing you can do for her and you know it." _

_I heard murmuring erupt all around me again, but I couldn't distinguish what anyone was saying. It didn't matter in any case, because all I wanted to do was lose myself in the darkness. Just rid myself of this horrible pain that was coursing through me like wild fire._

There was no sound but the wind rustling through the trees. No voices could be heard, nothing. It was strange, being lost in the darkness without any light or sound. Was this the afterlife then? I wondered in my head, listening intently for any sounds.

A gentle breeze swept across my face as I was rolled forwards on to my back. I felt a hand touch my cheek and then move to my neck. Someone was pushing my hair aside and I felt the distinct sensation of somewhat stroking my neck. And then I heard a voice in the distance.

"…I warned you of the consequences of this," Eleazar said."

"Can I say that none of this is making any sense whatsoever," Alice added.

Eleazar let out a long exasperated sigh. "Her shield is cocooning her against the pain of losing him," he explained. "It's like a defense mechanism."

"What can I do to bring her back?" A dangerously familiar voice sounded close beside where I was lying. My mind was racing at this point. He was alive, or had I imagined it?

"Direct venom injection should work, but it has to be yours."

I felt someone slide an arm under my back and lift me up slightly, tilting my head to the side and exposing my neck.

I wracked my brain trying to figure out what was going on, and then a sharp piercing sensation on my skin, as though someone had bitten me?

"That should do it," Eleazar's voice came again and I heard the shuffling of feet on the ground around me.

I could feel the venom course through my veins, and I felt myself gasp in mingled pleasure and surprise at this new sensation. The point of my incisors elongate to touch the bottom of my lip as a shot of what felt like ice rippled along every fiber of my being. My muscles tightened and my throat was burning again. The black haze began to fade before my eyes, and the invisible weight that had pinned me down to the ground was subsiding slowly. I could feel the bubble like shield expanded out again.

And then as quickly as it had come the piercing sensation subsided and I caught the deliciously familiar scent on my tongue. I opened my eyes and blinked frantically, trying to regain focus on the scene above me. The sight of the figure leaning over me caused me to let out a breath.

"Carlisle?" I sat bolt upright staring at him in amazement. I must be dreaming he couldn't be.

"Hello," He said with a small smile.

"I thought you were…" I managed to gasp out feeling the wave of misery fade away into nothingness.

"…Dead?" he said leaning over to press his lips to my forehead. "Bella you know I would never do that to you."

I stared at him half torn between hitting him and kissing him. I settled for giving him a confused look and attempt to move away from beneath him.

"But how…"

"Your venom Bella, it was very… effective." Carlisle said simply restraining me from moving away. "How did you know?"

"It was… a wild guess" I said unable to take my eyes off him. "When Aro said you had lost too much blood and venom, I figure that my venom would revive you." I broke off, frowning somewhat in the effort to overcome my surprise.

He looked deep into my eyes for a moment as though he was struggling with himself.

"I think this is the second time you've saved my life," he said carefully.

"The second time?" I asked leaning forward unable to take my eyes off him. Carlisle smiled and stroked my left cheek with his hand.

"The first time," he said leaning closer to whisper in my ear. "Was when you agreed to be my wife." My restraint broke and I felt my lips curve into a grin. I threw my arms around his neck. "You're unbelievable." I said in slightly awed voice, gazing into his face. He chuckled at my sudden tackle and kissed the tip of my nose and then my lips. It was surreal to be doing this only moment after the chaos and mayhem had finished and I had believed my fiancé to be dead.

An odd coughing sound met my ears and no doubt Carlisle heard it as well as he pulled away. We both looked up to see the others standing over us each of them had an exasperated yet slightly amused expression on their faces. All except Edward who had taken a step back and was glaring at the ground.

"Sorry about that," Carlisle said pleasantly as we broke apart. I ran a hand through my hair as I gazed at Alice who was looking half confused half delighted at the turn of events.

"You knew didn't you… that he was alive." I said looking at her.

"I had a hunch," she said simply.

"Nice to see you're getting at least one of your predictions correct." Carlisle said swiftly getting to his feet and then holding out a hand for me to take.

Alice said nothing; she merely grinned and cast a grateful look in Eleazar's direction. He was standing directly in front of Edward with a sheepish expression on his face. Rosalie threw her arms around him in a quick hug. "I knew you wouldn't give up on us." She murmured as Carlisle patted her on the back.

"You gave us all a fright there, dude," Emmett said giving him a playful hit on the shoulder.

"It wasn't intentional, I assure you," Carlisle said as Rosalie broke away and hung back beside Emmett. Jasper gave each of us a small smile of relief and then glanced at the hillside behind him, frowning slightly. "Sounds like they've got everything under control." He said slowly.

"For now at least, but I don't know what it will be like when they execute Emil." Eleazar said cautiously. I bit my lip as he spoke and looked at Carlisle. He caught my gaze and nodded, he knew as well as I did that until the issue of Horatio and Alyssa had been dealt with Emil would remain alive.

"Edward," Carlisle said walking over to him slowly. The figure of his adopted son turned and looked at him expressionlessly. I kept my arm firmly around Carlisle's waist and had to fight the urge to stand in between them.

"We should be getting back," Edward said turning and looking determinately in the direction of where the Volturi were situated.

"Can't we resolve this issue now?" Carlisle asked as he rested a hand on his shoulder, causing Edward to turn sharply and look at him again. Perhaps I was imaging it, but I could have sworn that I caught the vaguest sight of red flash across Edward's eyes.

"There is nothing to resolve." He said moving Carlisle's hand off his shoulder. "Come Bella, Aro will be expecting us." Edward held out his hand as he spoke and looked at me expectantly.

I averted my gaze from Edward for a moment, trying not to focus on the thought that had just crossed my mind. _That perhaps a small part of Edward had wanted Carlisle dead?_

"She'll come in a moment."

"Of course, I forgot you speak for her now." Edward said turning away and beginning to walk up the hill.

"You can't carry on like this Edward," Carlisle said gesturing to the rest of his coven and then to the scene across the hillside. "There is far too much is at stake here and we need to keep our coven together."

"If we divide now it could jeopardize everything." I stated looking at Edward sternly.

"We're already divided" Edward said looking at me with frustrated expression.

"But we don't have to be," Alice said from behind the spot where we were standing. I made a great effort to hide my surprise over her sudden comment. Alice had always been so focused on proving my destiny of uniting with Edward once more. But now when we had almost lost Carlisle and were facing the prospect of going against Emil and the Volturi.

"As long as you two are together we will always be divided." Edward replied.

"You need to realize that she's mine, and I am hers as long as she wants me." My head snapped up to look at Carlisle as he spoke. It was odd for Carlisle to be so defensive towards any of the members of his coven, especially Edward.

There was a flash in Edward's eyes and he darted inches closer to Carlisle. As I looked down I noticed that his fists were clenched furiously. There was a brief awkward silence that rung out across the grassy hill that was only broken by the arrival of the Volturi leader.

"Carlisle, you're alive!" Aro exclaimed from somewhere to the left of where we were standing. "Isn't that… wonderful." He was standing in between a rather satisfied looking Alec and Caius. The other guards were busying themselves with setting the remains on fire. Emil was still trapped in the ring of fire from what I could see.

"Can't it wait, Aro, until after we return to Volterra?" Edward asked glaring at him resentfully.

"I have no intension of taking Emil back to Volterra, Edward. With his powers no doubt he'll bring half of our remaining guards to their knees. No, he will be tried here and Carlisle..." Aro said looking at him seriously. "I need the boy."

"No!" Rosalie said hastily coming up in front of him. "You can't kill him, after all that we have done for you…"

"…The Volturi will not make exceptions for immortal children, Rosalie." Caius said firmly, with an outraged expression.

"But he isn't like typical immortal children. He's stable and…" Alice said quickly.

"We cannot take your word for it Alice," Aro replied delicately. "We need to hold a meeting…"

"…A trail more like," Emmett growled.

"Regardless," Aro said coming up to Carlisle and taking his hand in his own before anyone could stop him. A moment later Aro took a step back evidently satisfied.

"Alec, take Felix and Rosalie to the Cullens Cabin and fetch the child and… his human sister."

Caius narrowed his eyes at us as Alec stalked off with Rosalie to find Felix.

"You will accompany us in order to witness," Aro said lazily looking around behind him at the clouds of purple smoking rising in the sky.

"You will give us a chance Aro," Carlisle said carefully as all of us began to follow Aro and Caius back up the hillside.

"Naturally my dear Carlisle, it is the least I can do." Aro said in a false tone of pleasantness.

"Edward I need you to do something for me, the mansion…" Aro began but he was immediately cut off in mid sentence by Edward who came up swiftly beside him and said hastily. "Already done,"

"What do you mean already done?" Caius asked suspiciously. "You haven't been away from us since the start of the battle."

"I wasn't here for the start," Edward said looking up at the tree with a bored expression on his face. "After I spoke with Bella I managed to sneak off and do the deed, you can go and check for yourself if you like."

Aro chuckled and shook his head evidently satisfied by the news. "No need for that I'm sure, but you did destroy everything didn't you?"

Edward nodded as his eyes flickered to mine for a moment. I averted them quickly and saw Caius scowl at him furiously. "This still doesn't let you off the hook Edward," he said as though Edward's news was irritating.

I was half tempted to ask what exactly Edward had destroyed during his time of absence from the battle but judging by the look of the others I figured it was best if I kept silent for now.

"Caius," Eleazar warned, as we slowed our pace up to the crowded hillside. "We have more important things to dwell on than this."

"Very true." Aro added as he pointed towards the figures of the remaining Valhalla guards that were standing in a long row between two oak trees. Each of them bound with heavy chains. The figures of Carmen, Tanya and Kate could be seen pacing backwards and forwards in front of them, each holding their swords aloft and looking grim.

"Where did you go Edward?" I asked curiously turning my gaze to him. The strong smell of petrol still emitted off him.

"I burn down the manor." He said with a casual shrug. I blinked frantically for a couple of seconds and then finally said. "The Valhallas mansion?"

"Obviously," Edward said ignoring Aro's gaze that reflected that of one who did not want this information to be disclosed.

"But why?"

"Bella why would anyone want to burn down a building?" Edward asked looking at me with a rare crooked smile curving his lips.

"To get rid of the evidence?" I guess with a shrug.

"Edward unless you desire meeting the same fate as Emil I suggest you hold your tongue." Caius spat furiously looking at Aro who was murmuring quietly to Carlisle and Jasper.

The rest of us remained silent long after we reached the site of the Volturi's base. Eleazar broke from our group and rushed to his wife. We separated into two groups and formed a wide circle around the scene. Aro rejoined his second in command, Caius, and the rest of his coven members.

"We need to resolve this before sun rise," he stated. "So I suggest we begin now, Alec and Felix can join us later."

Everyone around the hillside murmured in agreement, each of them not taking their eyes off the ring of flames imprisoning Emil.

"Isabella, would you do the honors." Aro asked in an unconvincingly friendly tone. The idea of releasing Emil from his enclosure wasn't exactly a happy one, but I knew that it had to be done. I slid away from Carlisle's side, still keeping his hand in my own, and I fixed my eyes on the fire. It was difficult to relax when there was so much unease and tension in the air. I caught sight of Jane and two other Volturi guards hover close beside the fire, waiting.

_Come on Bella you've done this before._ I told myself silently, but I was usually trying to prevent myself from setting the chambers of the Volturi's castle on fire, rather than setting a vindictive vampire free.

"Whenever you're ready," Edward called as he prepared himself to pounce in case Emil tried to make a run for it.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The familiar sounds of a wave rushing over me met my ears and extinguish the fire.

I opened my eyes just in time to see Emmett and the two Volturi guards seize Emil by the arm and pull him towards Aro. The action resulted in the outcry of many of the Valhalla guards, each attempting to free themselves from their chains.

Aro gazed down at Emil as he was forced to his knees roughly. "You have been very foolish Emil." He said with a satisfied smile curving his ruby lips as the Valhalla leader looked up at his enemy.

Emil's gazed flickered to mine for a fraction of a second. His eyes bore into mine as Aro closed his fingers around Emil's hand.

I felt a surge of anger flood through me and I felt myself moving toward Emil. The tips of my pointed incisors touched my bottom lip and a growl left my mouth. I felt a pair of firm arms encircle my waist, holding me back.

"Calm down love." Carlisle whispered close to my left ear lobe.

"I'm trying," I whispered placing my hands on his. "But I keep seeing this red haze every time I look at him." Was this my shield's response towards preventing him from having that hypnotic influence on me like he did with so many others? It would be rather peculiar if it was, considering that the effect he had on me caused nothing but rage.

I wasn't the only one it seemed. Edward was frozen on the spot observing everything Aro was taking in with clenched fists and darkening eyes. Whatever he was seeing it couldn't be good and I felt the curiosity burn within me as I watched.

"Master!" several of the Valhalla guards cried out in frustration as they struggled to get to him. Jane was immediately upon them in seconds and a sharp piercing scream left one of them. It continued until Edward finally snapped and wrenched Jane away from them, knocking her to the ground. She snarled up at him with her fangs bared. There was no way she could inflict her power on him, for my shield was safely covering Edward and the effect would only cause Jane to receive the full force of her power.

"I am trying to concentrate." Edward said scrambling to his feet and moving away towards where Alice was standing. Her eyes met his and she cast her gaze to the ground hurriedly.

"How could you?" he whispered in an anguished tone.

"Hold on Edward," Aro said taking his hand off Emil and stepping back. Emil remained on his knees with the guards and Emmett holding him in place.

"Hold on?" Edward snarled keeping his eyes on Alice. "For months we have taken her word for things and been deceived!"

Jasper came up to stand in front of Alice who was shaking her head with wide eyes.

What was going on? Was Alice also a traitor in all of this as well? No it couldn't be true…

"All this time you were under his control!"

"Edward all you are doing is confusing everyone with such outbursts." Aro said in a ringing tone. "We need to explain this properly..."

"All he has done is lie and fabricate the truth!" Edward said turning to face Emil and glaring at him with hatred. "All the mind control and manipulation he has inflicted on us…"

"Now you know I felt whilst being with you," I muttered under my breath. Edward shot a furious glance at me and aimed to come forward but the Volturi guards held him back.

"Silence!" Aro said shooting forward to stand inches from Edward. "I have already observed the whole story and I can assure you that no manipulation has been inflicted on me."

"How can you be so sure?" Emil said speaking for the first time now. There was a chuckling sound and Caius clicked his fingers and gestured towards me. I carefully took a step forward with Carlisle still holding me securely around my waist. "Have a guess." I said exhaling deeply in an effort to keep my cool.

"Your shield I suppose." Emil nodded evidently aware that he was outnumbered. His eyes went back to Aro with a look of pure loathing on his face.

"Now," Aro began conversationally. "Talk and if you so much as lie once I will have Jane gaze at you for an hour." Emil smirked and shook his head casting his gaze to the cluster of Valhalla guards. "We follow only the best cause for securing the vampire realm." He said coolly

"Your cause has always tried to introduce a new reform on the vampire realm." Aro began keeping his eyes on Jane who was skirting around Emil. "One that could potentially destroy humankind as we know it."

"They would have benefited from it!" Emil stated.

Edward snorted loudly. "Making them live in fear whilst our kind to rule over them."

Emil was shaking his head and grinning as though the perception of his plan in the Volturis eyes was somewhat ludicrous.

"It is far worse than that Edward," Aro said gravely. "We're talking about the extinction of the human race."

"You always failed to see the true potential of our kind and the influence vampires could have on the world." One of the Valhalla guard cried defensively.

Emil smirked appreciatively and turned his ruby eyes on me. They lingered there for a good while as Aro went through the story of Emil and the Valhallas crimes. Creating an immortal child, and organizing the death of Esme to be framed on the Volturi. It left a bad taste in the atmosphere, with the revelation that Emil's sole plan for the past decade was to get the Cullens on his side and break apart their union with the Volturi.

It went well and not long after they had left Forks, the Cullens had been set up. The plan went well, up to a certain point, if it wasn't for a minor set back. Me. Many months after the Cullens had left Forks; Victoria had gone to Laurent for help with killing me and defeating the werewolves. I knew that Laurent had been with the Denali clan and had learnt of the Volturi from Irina. Both had gone to the Volturi and disclosed to them that the Cullens had openly associated with a human. It was this and the fact that the Volturi had known about me that had caused Edward to join them not long after Esme death. Carlisle had temporarily left the coven to mourn his loss. Not what Emil had planned: the Cullen clan to be divided? But a year or so later they reunited again, and came to find me at university. I couldn't help but feel surprised to learn from Emmett that Edward had forbidden any of his family to resume contact with me.

"I didn't want the Volturi to find out we were on to them." Edward said. "And I wanted to make sure I didn't break my promise and have us interfere in your life again."

Of course not everything had gone to plan for Carlisle acting on his own instincts took up the position as a psychology professor and my relationship with the Cullens had started up again.

"Emil knew nothing of this," Aro said with a satisfied smirk. "Until you took a trip to Serbia for the winter holidays and met Emil with the two Romanians."

"Why did you see Bella as a threat to your plan?" Jasper asked standing inches from Emil.

"Her presence in your coven had the potential to destroy the foundation for Carlisle joining our side." Emil said simply.

"What do you mean?" I asked sliding away from Carlisle slightly.

"Isn't it obvious Bella?" Aro said chuckling. "He saw that there was more to your relationship than met the eye."

Emil let out a heavy sigh reflecting his frustration. "It made no sense, vampires rarely find new love interests after they have lost their mate."

I cast my gaze determinately on the ground for a moment, unable to face Edward's stare.

"I couldn't risk Carlisle moving on so I guided Alice's visions to see the negative aspects of such a relationship arising."

I thought back to my time during the Christmas holidays. It was only after Alice had met Emil again that she had begun telling me how I belonged with Edward and continued to pester me about avoiding Carlisle at all costs.

"But you failed, despite your best efforts." Aro said, "attempting to hypnotize Bella, manipulating Alice in getting Edward to propose to her…"

"…What?" Carlisle said interrupting Aro in a loud tone laced with shock. I had to look up after this and I noticed his wide golden eyes looking between me and Edward. "You proposed to her?"

Edward nodded, looking equally surprised. "You didn't know?" and I could have sworn I had seen the faint hint of a smile creeping on Edward's lips.

Carlisle's gaze locked upon mine and I couldn't help but feel an odd sensation of guilt come over me. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because Laurent and Victoria attacked me a short while afterwards and then there was the stuff with the Volturi and I went to Paris… I just didn't get a chance" I said hastily. "And I don't see why it matters any way."

Carlisle ran a hand through his hair and started pacing up and down the area again. "You should have told me." He said as I came up, halting him in his tracks.

"I know and I am sorry, but honestly Carlisle, what difference would it have made?" I said tilting my head to the side.

"I wouldn't have rushed you…" he began to say but I pressed my index finger to his lips and gazed into his eyes sternly.

"You didn't, and if I could go back in time I wouldn't change a thing." I cupped his cheek in my hand.

"It was foolish of you Emil not to realize that you were fighting a losing battle." Aro murmured as though he hadn't heard anyone else speak. "Particularly when Carlisle had been harboring feelings for Bella for the good part of the time he had been reunited with her."

This made me do a double take and raised my hands to cover my mouth, trying to contemplate what Aro had just said. It took me a couple of seconds and it was only when the silence fell around the group did I finally lower my hands. "What did you say?" I asked, hoping that I had misheard.

"When I had asked Marcus about the strength if your relationship with Carlisle, he told me that the bond between you was strong and had arisen from the dormant feelings Carlisle had possessed for you many years ago." Aro said placing his hands behind his back and pacing solemnly.

I turned to look at Carlisle who had remained determinately silent and was watching Edward closely.

"Is this true?" I asked tentatively.

Carlisle sighed heavily and bore the expression of someone who had been caught in an awkward position.

"I did care for you back then," he said gently. "But it was nothing compared to how I feel for you now."

There was a loud snort from Edward and almost the entire crowd turned their gaze to look at him. "You're a liar Carlisle, I read your thoughts!" He snapped. "The admiration you had for her and the fascination. You might have never revealed it in the way you acted around her or us, but it was still there."

I blinked several times and looked between the two of them feeling utterly confused.

"She was first human to come into our clan Edward," Carlisle said flicking his gaze back to him. "And yes I admired her for being so gracious and understanding. No other human would have behaved in such a way towards us, but she did."

Edward rolled his eyes and laughed humorlessly. "You never possessed such admiration for Esme did you?"

"Oh for heavens sake Edward! They are both completely different from each other." Carlisle said with in an exasperated tone. "I will admit that back then I cared for Bella, but only as a close friend."

"If you loved Esme then why did you let her die?" Edward asked furiously. "You stood there and let her die without even attempting to save her."

"There was nothing in the world that could stop her from protecting Horatio," Carlisle said. "He was like the son that she had lost all those years ago. And I knew that nobody could have prevented her from protecting him."

Edward shook his head stubbornly and cast a look in my direction. "You just wanted her out of the way." He had barely managed to finish his sentence when Carlisle had shot forward to stand inches away from him.

"No I didn't." the reply came out in a deadly whisper that carried across the entire forest. I could feel Aro watching us in a cautious manner, and the rest of the coven seemed to be holding their breath.

"Why are you so afraid of the truth?" Edward asked his eyes sparkling maliciously.

A growl left both of them and I hurried rushed forward to stand in between the two quarreling vampires again. Jasper and Emmett were already standing in close proximity behind the two of them. There was a low murmuring coming from the Volturi guards at this point and one glance at Jane could see how frustrated she was becoming.

"Cut it out both of you," I said pushing my fiancé a couple of steps away and unclenching his hands. The idea that there was some unknown truth in Carlisle was ridiculous, and in any case this wasn't the perfect time to discuss such matters.

"There are far more important things to think about here." I said looking towards Edward and keeping out hand raised defensively. He growled again before turning on his heel and walking back to where the other members of the Cullen clan were standing.

"…Can we get back to the matter at hand?" Felix called and I looked towards the source of the sound as he emerged from the enclosure of trees with a familiar turquoise cloaked figure standing behind Alec.

It took a short for to the atmosphere to clam down again and restore the strained neutrality between the covens that were surrounding the hillside.

Aro nodded and continued listing out the evidence against Emil, talking about how he had traveled to Paris in order to kidnap and change me into a vampire, being aware of my gift. The more Aro spoke of what had occurred with Emil, the more prominent the flaws in the plans had been. The attempts made in trying to obtain the talisman and the sample of my blood. Many things were clear now, the fact that Edward's odd behavior had been due to Emil's controlling and manipulating him.

It explained his out of character moments. And then there was Alice who had never been under Emil's control, but had been manipulated with fake visions by him. And throughout all of this Edward and the Cullens had fought and sacrificed to keep me safe. Even when we had been separated they had never stopped caring for me.

"You may have figured out the obvious," Emil said breaking the momentary silence. "But you have no evidence that can alter the resolve of my coven. The humans I associated with were all turned in to vampires and there is no concrete evidence apart from word of mouth that my motive was to conquer humankind."

There was a low murmur of agreement from his guards, all of whom were looking excessively confused and agitated.

"You tried to destroy the Volturi, have openly lived your life with the human community – have been responsible for a number of global disappearances and murders for almost five decades and…" Aro raised his hand gestured to Alec and Felix. "Are responsible for creating this..."

Felix and Alec emerged with Horatio walking in between them, Alyssa was walking arm in arm with Rosalie, her face set and a little fearful.

The members of the Denali clan took several steps back and formed defensive positions. The Volturi guards fixed their eyes on Horatio and raised their swords.

Aro nodded at Felix and Alec signaling them to depart from Horatio's side they did so with heavy reservation and stood close by Aro, protecting him from boy. The little boy stood alone watching Aro with a determined expression on his face. Carlisle came forward but Felix held up a hand holding him back.

"My guards will destroy each and every one of you." Emil cried and he immediately began struggling against his bonds and demanding to be released. But a quick look from Jane soon silenced him in minutes.

"Do you have a name child…?" Aro asked gazing down at Horatio with a fascinated expression on his face.

"Keep silent." Emil called angrily.

"My name is Horatio," the boy said in a shaky voice ignoring his maker. The effect of my shield had resonated over Horatio now, and he was safely protected from Emil hypnotic influences.

"How old are you?" Aro said carefully.

"Well I'm twelve, but I've been a vampire since I was ten."

Aro nodded and smiled gently. "I've been told by Carlisle here that you have a special gift…"

Horatio nodded still not taking his eyes off Aro. "Would you mind showing me?"

The boy closed his eyes for a moment and within seconds an odd haze seemed to cascade over him until he was completely out of sight. Vanished.

"Extraordinary," Aro whispered looking around at the others. "In all my centuries of existence I have never seen such a… calm child."

"That doesn't change anything Aro." Caius said warningly.

"Please," Alyssa said hastily freeing herself from Rosalie's grasp and moving to the crowd of Vampires with Aro in the center. I caught sight of their eyes all gazing hungrily at her with intense curiosity.

"My brother doesn't mean any harm and doesn't deserve to die for something that wasn't his fault." She spoke in a clear, determined voice, full of confidence; which surprised me immensely. But then again she had been around Emil and the Valhallas for so long that she was probably used to it all.

"His human sister," Aro said with a small grin and appeared to be only half listening to her. "Would you mind if take a look into your mind…"

Alyssa took a quick step back as Horatio, Jasper and Edward zoomed over to her side.

"I won't harm you," Aro said carefully holding out his hand. Alyssa cast a look at Edward and then at Rosalie, both of them nodded. Alyssa took a deep breath and placed her hand in Aro's own.

"Do you think they'll destroy him?" I asked Carlisle still watching Aro's progress with Alyssa.

"It depends on whether or not Aro trusts, and believes in the stability of him."

"How could he not when his human sister is safe with him."

Carlisle smiled sadly. "He has to set an example to the other vampire covens. But whatever happens I want you to say beside me."

I torn my eyes away from the figure of the immortal child and stared at Carlisle. I couldn't help but feel taken aback by his words. "But if he's at risk I have to protect…" I started to say.

"No," Carlisle whispered harshly in my ear. "you won't get involved in this Bella."

"If he is in danger I have to…"

"If you love me Bella you will stay here and not intervene." Carlisle said into my ear. I had to do yet another double take at this one. He was actually using the question of my love for him as a method of getting me to obey his demands? It was ridiculous since I was a thousand times stronger than Esme and there was little danger of Aro or any of the Volturi members killing me.

"What has gotten into?" I asked grudgingly remaining still despite my urge to wrench myself away from him and go to Horatio. Carlisle said nothing; he merely kissed the top of my head and tightened his grip around my waist.

Many minutes later Aro removed his hand from Alyssa's and took a step back gazing at her with a mixture of fear and curiosity. "She knows far too much to be desired." He stated to his second in command. Caius smirked, baring his fangs.

Horatio was immediately in front of her in a protective stance. "Don't hurt her please; she hasn't done anything wrong… please."

Aro held up a hand and stopped Caius in his tracks. The Volturi leader gestured to the sky and then to Emil.

"We will deal with this situation back in Volterra. The sun is coming and we must deal with the Valhalla." Aro turned and nodded to Alec who seized Horatio and Alyssa and moved them to the side were Rosalie and Emmett were with Alice and Jasper. He turned walked with his fellow Volturi members to where Emil and the Valhalla guards were.

"The evidence presented before you acts against Emil and his coven's favor." Aro called in a ringing tone throughout the woodland. "I will now put it to a vote, all those in favor of immediately execution."

The entire Volturi members raised their hands, followed closely by the Denalis, the Irish and a couple of other covens whose origins I knew nothing of. Edward, Emmett and Jasper raised their hands immediately along with the others. Carlisle's gaze met mine as he too raised his hand. I nodded silently and moved across the grass to stand in front of Emil.

"It's not over Aro, there are many more covens across the globe that share my view and will gladly take up the challenge after I am gone." Emil said as he was raised to his feet.

"And they will face the same fate as you." Aro said coldly before turning on me. "When you're ready Isabella."

I swallowed and winced slightly as the burning erupted in my throat again. This was one fire I did not want to ignite, despite the fact that I hated Emil and wanted nothing more than to see him turned into ash. I didn't want to be responsible for it.

"For the crimes of violating the laws of the vampire realm, consorting with humans and threatening their kind, creating an immortal child and murdering a volturi elder I sentence you to burn in the flames of hell for all of eternity." Aro said clearly and the other guards murmured in response.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on my anger, channeling it to ignite the flames once more.

"Before I leave you all, there is just one last thing…" Emil said in a calm voice that was slightly unnerving. The next moment there was the sound of a frantic scuffling and screams erupted instantly around us. I opened my eyes just as the flames burst from the grassy floor on the Valhalla guards and close by Emil just as he threw the sword in my direction. I let out a sharp gasp and felt myself fall back from the impact.

"Bella!"

It took me half a second to realize that one of the guard members of the Valhalla had thrown Emil a sword. In the rapid speed of the attack I had failed to avoid the blade and was now on the ground wincing as the blade shattered through my abdomen. _Damn you, Emil! _I thought as I tried to get to my feet again, but it was pointless to even try at this point.

The handle of the blade sticking out from the tear in my sweater. Just how tough was this metal exactly? I thought to myself as I looked up at Emil who was grinning triumphantly.

"All is fair in love and war Isabella." He said with a smirk before he turned and darted off towards the trees.

~To be continued...

_**A/N**_

**_Thoughts?_**

_Are you disappointed with the outcome of this chapter?_

_Was Bella's reaction to Carlisle's demise somewhat peculiar? _

_Carlisle has a secret that only Edward knows about… what could that be?_

_Will Emil finally get what's coming to him?_

_I should note that once again this chapter was longer than the usual ones, and I had to cut it again and leave the remainder for the next chapter. _

_I have also done a "Monday Meet & Greet" interview with alsltwilight (dot) blogspot (dot) com. They are currently celebrating Carlisle this month , so if you are interested keep a look out for it around the end of this month. :)_

**_Thank you for reading._**


	36. Chapter 36: Author's note

_You were probably expecting another chapter but unfortunately this is merely an author's note. Basically for the entire month of June I have exams, finals actually. I am currently studying aboard and the system here chooses to have their finals right in the middle of summer which is very weird, but there it is. _

_Now I will keep working on the next chapter and the ones to follow after that, but there might not be an update until perhaps the first week of July. I thought I would post this here just so you know where I am and don't start thinking that because it has been over a month since I updated that I have given up on this story._

_I might post a sneak preview around mid June if I can find time. But once I get these exams over and done with I can spend more time on finishing up this story and maybe start a sequel? Who knows. Anyway I want to thank you all so much for reviewing and subscribing thus far. I am truely very grateful and a little shocked that this story has passed the 1000 review mark._

If any of you are curious my interview with **alsltwilight (dot) blogspot (dot) com** was posted today. :)

Once again I want to thank all of you and if you have any questions or comments on this story feel free to PM me.


	37. Chapter 36: Calamity & Remdemption

_A/N_

_Thank you for being so patient with me on this chapter. And now that my exams are finished I get back to writing this story. I am so grateful to all of you for reviewing and subscribing. Thank you so much. _

_Credit to the wonderful Shelia for proof reading this chapter and providing me with some much needed advice on the ending. _

_**I am dedicating this chapter to Idreamof**__**Eddy for her introduction to my interview on the ALSLtwilight fansite. I was lost for words at how nice she was. :)**_

**_Disclaimer: I am not S. Meyer. All characters in this fan fiction are of her own creation, except for Horatio and Alyssa. They are mine. _**

_Recommended Music: I could list the entire Eclipse soundtrack here because it was a wonderful cure for my writer's block, but Instead I will name one particular song that enabled me to get this chapter together**. **_**_Neutron Star Collision (Love is Forever) ~ Muse_. **

**Chapter 36 **

_Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality._

_~Edgar Allen-Poe_

**CPOV  
**

All control had completely abandoned her at this point and I was on my knees again; my hands locked around Bella's wrists as she attempted to stand up. I knew that she wouldn't let Emil get away again, there was far too much at stake here to allow such a thing to happen. I had not sacrificed her humanity just to be defeated by one vampire. We both owed this victory not only to the coven and Esme's memory, but to the Volturi as well. I had to find him and finish this battle once and for all.

I was half tempted to run after him; the sight of Bella in pain, the crimson stain of her wound lightly staining her sweater, was enough to put the idea out of my mind. I eased her back against the grass and rested the palm of my hand on her stomach, feeling the damp sensation. The wound wasn't deep but the effect of blood and venom loss in a new born was more dangerous.

"Will she be alright?" Alyssa's voice sounded as she came to stand a short distance from me. What was she doing coming so close to her? The smell of her blood was even more prominent now and it was causing even own my throat to burn a little.

I felt Bella's entire body tense before me and her eyes darken in anticipation. The next moment she bolted upright and was attempting to get to her feet.

"Get Alyssa out of here!" I cried as I seized Bella around the waist and threw her down onto the ground. The scent of the blood was too close for comfort and with her sudden blood loss; the thirst would increase to a dangerous level.

"Carlisle my throat it hurts so much," she whimpered in anguish. "Please just let me go!" She struggled angrily against my grip over her.

"You know I can't let you drink human blood Bella," I said firmly as Rosalie came bounding towards us. She fell to her knees and took a hold of Bella's wrists. The time for this could not have been worse. Not only were we recovering from a battle, but the main target had escape and a large cluster of the Volturi were frantically skirting out the woodland looking for him. To make matters worse the only one who could destroy Emil was now lying half injured on the ground.

"Her resistance is truly remarkable," Aro said as he came up beside us. I was surprised at how calm he was behaving given the current circumstances of the situation. "But surely you could make an _exception_ Carlisle."

I tore my gaze away from Bella for a moment to look into Aro's face. His expression was oddly serene for a man who had only minutes before had been giving frantic orders to his guards to search every inch of the woodland and not return until they had found Emil.

"What do you mean by exception?" I asked half knowing the answer in my head.

Aro tilted his head and smiled. "Allow her to take some nourishment," he turned and looked over in the far distance where Alyssa and Horatio were sitting on the grass with Alice and a small number of Volturi guards. I had to do a double take at this, did Aro actually except me to allow Bella to drink from Alyssa and in the process kill her?

"No."

"Carlisle we cannot afford to let Emil slip through our grasp again," Aro said warningly. "We need Bella in full health so that she can find and destroy him."

"You expect us to allow her to murder an innocent human so that she can be strong enough to fight?" Rosalie asked furiously as she relaxed her grip around Bella who was exhaling deeply and struggling to keep still.

"She is going to die anyway," Aro said casually. "We may as well put her to some good use."

"Aro," a voice I recognized to be Edward's as he came over to where we were. He glared from Aro to me and then back again. "Alice has had a vision and would like your opinion on what she has seen." He said in a icy tone.

"Has she uncovered Emil's whereabouts?" Aro asked turning to look at him. Edward nodded once and then walked around to sit beside Rosalie. Aro cast us a reproachful look before he started walking back up the hillside to Alice.

"You need to get her out of here Carlisle," Edward said as soon as he thought Aro was out of earshot. I made to respond but a sudden growling sound prevented me from going so. Bella was half way in getting to her feet her face more livid than I had ever seen it. Rosalie still held her arms in a tight grasp as Bella made to spring upon Edward, but I laid one free hand on her shoulder. "Don't Bella," I whispered.

"I need," she started to say but I interrupted her and placed a hand over the site where the wound was.

"You need to calm down." I said firmly and I raised my hands to pin her by the arms to the ground in an attempt to hold her still.

"Carlisle let me go!" she said desperately.

"We're trying to help you Bella." Edward said keeping a strong hold over her struggles.

The fact of the matter was nothing was being achieved when she was behaving like this.

"You're helping me!" she said looking up at me with glossy black eyes. "Just let me go, both of you."

As much as I wanted to give in to her I knew that I couldn't, not yet anyway. I shook my head and give her an apologetic look. I half expected her to resuming protesting again but to my surprise she fell completely still and kept her eyes fixed on me. It took several minutes but finally I agreed and gave both Rosalie and Edward a nod. They both cautiously lifted their grip off Bella and watched her tentatively.

Bella immediately start rolling along the grass to the edge of the forest. I watched her for a moment as Bella proceeded to scramble to her feet and run into the forest.

"Bella!" Edward cried springing to his feet and preparing to chase after her.

"Wait Edward," I said standing up and rushing to take a hold of him. "Let her go,"

"She's not in control Carlisle!" Edward began angrily, but I laid a hand over his shoulder and halted him in mid sentence. "I'll take care of it,"

Edward rounded on me with his eyes blazing jet black. "Do you realize what will happen if Emil finds her?" He said wrenching my hand off him.

"I will handle it," I said firmly.

"Just like you always do," Edward said in a sarcastic tone. "Like you've done for _years_." Rosalie shushed him with a nudge in the ribs.

"Edward, don't start this again," I said warningly.

"Its fine, its fine, go find her and make sure she's safe." He said before turning on his heel and moving off into the trees. I watched him for a long moment contemplating something I had kept buried within me for a while. And today, during Edward's brief argument with me, had the nature of the secret been brought to the surface. I couldn't let that happen, not again. Bella must never know for I fear if she did there was a large possibility that she would leave us forever.

"Carlisle?" Rosalie's voice sounded from the distance. I looked up to find her staring at me and my hands that had clenched in to fists.

"I'm okay," I said smiling in what I hoped was a convincing mask of serenity. "I had better get going." I said walking away slowly in an effort to put the memory behind me. There were more important things to think about at present. I quickened my pace to a steady jog and then accelerated into full sprint into the forest, hoping to find Bella before she did anything reckless.

I aimed to focus my efforts on tracking the scent even though I had only done it for one person, I was confident that I could find both her and Emil this way. It was harder than usual because there was so many other scents of vampires around not to mention the aroma of the soil, shrubs and leaf covered trees.

They couldn't have gone that far, I assured my self as I ran; smashing passed bushes and miniature trees as I did so. The forest wasn't even that big and given the untidy state Emil was in, he could hardly pass off as a human in the town or city. The Valhalla manor was completely destroyed according to Edward so there was no way he could have gone there. In any case, Aro had practically the whole Volturi guard scattered around every inch of the forest, not to mention a bunch of international covens.

There was no hope of Emil getting away, unless he hid and waited for the Volturi to depart. But he couldn't hide anywhere from a bunch of vampires, all of whom knew his scent very well. But even if I did find him I couldn't face him without Bella. She was the only strong enough to fight him. Another thought crossed my mind as I ran and before long grim realization had hit me. Bella needed blood and the longer she went without it the weaker she would become. But how could I get her to feed, there was hardly any time for her to go hunting not that she would go. Bella would simply argue that there was no time and that _we have to find Emil first._

I knew that the only way was to hunt for her and so I did. I made quick detour knowing that my three centuries of experience would make me that much faster in finding a couple of rabbits.

It took me less than fifteen minutes to hunt down four squirrels and, by an odd stroke of luck, a large fox. It wasn't much but given the limited amount of time I had on my hands it would be enough. The only problem remaining was trying to get Bella to drink.

I came to a halt in a small clearing surrounded by pine trees and looked around, trying to catch her scent. I caught the aroma of cherry blossom and apple a short distance away and I immediately started running again. I dwelled on the matter of where Emil could be as a method of killing time as I ran. The only way Emil could hide himself without any risk of being found was in the… _lake!_ The idea hit me like a lightening bolt and I turned on the spot, knocking straight into my fiancée in the process. I hadn't even noticed that she had been in front of me.

"Carlisle," she said from beneath me on the leaf covered ground. "Was tackling me really necessary?"

I raised myself up on my elbows and stared down at her perplexed expression. "I wasn't tackling you," I said truthfully. "I was distracted and didn't notice you were in front of me."

Bella narrowed her eyes and gave me a look that clearly showed that she didn't believe me. It was a natural reaction on her part. Whenever she lost control I had taken to being firm with her against my better nature. I had always strived to be better than a typical vampire and not resort to the aggressive or dominant tactics. I never needed to with Edward or Esme when they were new borns, not even Emmett who had his fair share of difficulties. But with Bella everything was different. The effect she had over me was one that I had never experienced before.

"Are you going to get off me?" she asked with her voice a higher octave than usual.

"Only if you promise not to run off again." I said leaning down and pressing my lips to her cheek, taking in the bouquet of her scent.

"Fine," she said grumpily as she pressed her hands to my chest. "But only if you stop using my love for you as an excuse to bend me to your will."

I stopped in the midst of kissing her neck and looked into her white marble face. "What do mean?"

"'_If you love me Bella you will stay here and not intervene.'__"_ she said in a voice attempting to mimic my own.

I sighed heavily and slid off her, lying down on the ground beside her. "I didn't mean it like that." I said lamely.

"This over protectiveness has got to stop," Bella said fixing her eyes on me. "I'm a vampire for crying out loud and do not need you to shield me. Have you forgotten that we have just fought in a battle and oh look I'm still in one piece?"

I knew she was right and I shouldn't have acted in that fashion but the last time someone intervened with Horatio they ended up becoming a pile of ashes. It was a natural reaction.

"I'm sorry; I was just trying to keep you safe."

"But you don't have to worry about that with me." Bella said hurriedly sitting up and getting to her feet. "I can look after myself." She winced slightly as she spoke and automatically placed a hand over her abdomen.

"Bella?"

"Its nothing." she said dismissively and turned to continue walking down the pathway. I immediately darted forward and grabbed her arm, pulling her to my chest almost too forcefully.

"Carlisle don't,"

I held her still with one hand whilst lifting up the end of her sweater with the other. I examined her abdomen where the faded pinkish red outline of the wound lingered just above her belly button. It was odd because most wounds such as these healed within minutes in most vampires. I pressed my finger tips to the wound gently.

"Does this hurt?" I asked looking up into her face.

"No," she said wincing again and looking down at the ground.

I knew she was lying and it wasn't merely due to my century's worth of medical experience. Bella had always been a bad liar.

"I need you to lie down on the ground for a moment,"

She looked up at me sharply with black eyes laced with red. "I don't _need_ to lie down Carlisle," and she made to push past me, but I held her in a tight grip around her waist.

"I wasn't born yesterday love,"

"I'm fine..." Bella let out a sharp gasp and stumbled. I was sure that she would have lost her balance if I had not been holding her.

"You are so stubborn," I said easing her down onto the ground and lowered her head onto ground.

"It's nothing really," her voice was soft and oddly timid. I traced my hand further down and pressed again.

"Emil staked you with a sword Bella, you're lucky to be alive." I pulled up her sweater a small fraction, and resumed in examining her abdomen. I pressed each section for any abnormal swelling or tenderness on her stone-like skin.

The examination took less than a few minutes and during that time Bella remained completely silent. But I could feel her muscles tensing again.

"What's your diagnosis Dr. Cullen?" She asked looking up at me with a small smile on her lips.

"You need blood." I stated moving my fingers away and lowering her sweater down again.

"But I haven't got time," she said sitting bolt upright and wincing again. "I need find Emil first."

"I realize that time is not on our side Bella," I reached up and brushed my hand against her cheek. "But you can't face Emil in this condition."

She scowled. "I haven't got time to go hunting Carlisle." And attempted to get to her feet but I held her down.

"You don't have to go hunting," I said carefully. Bella looked at me for a short moment and pursed her lips suspiciously. "What do you…?" She seemed lost for words as I pulled up the hem of my sleeve and leaned closer enough for her to be able to take my wrist.

"No," she said shaking her head frantically. "No I'm not taking your blood Carlisle, not after what you've been through." She said determinately holding my wrist away from her mouth.

"Bella you need blood and this is the only way."

She stared down at my wrist and I caught the briefest glimpse of her fangs touch her bottom lip. "No," and she wrenched herself to her feet and began walking away.

Damn it when was she ever going to stop being so stubborn? We weren't going to achieve anything like this. I shook my head and got to my feet, coming up behind her and stopping her in her tracks. My arms coiled around her waist and I pulled her back against my chest.

"Darling," I said carefully. I knew she wouldn't be able to resist much longer. "You did the same for me when I was in need," I kissed the back of her neck lightly as I spoke. "Now let me return the favor." I drew my wrist up to my mouth and sank my teeth into the skin, creating a deep gash in the process. I then held up the exposed wound to her, causing her to give out a low moan of frustrated protest.

Bella gazed at it for a moment and leaned back against my chest. Her eyes closed and lips pressed together. I pushed her hair away from the side of her neck and resumed kissing along the side of her throat.

"I can't," she said leaning back against me and trying to free herself from my grasp. "I could kill you."

The truth was that she couldn't, vampires were merely weakened by excessively blood loss up to the point were the bodies shut down completely. We would become statue-like until we could be exposed to nourishment again. Seeing as I had already hunted and filled myself with more than enough blood, a small fraction of it going to Bella wouldn't harm me in the slightest.

"I'll be fine Bella; I wouldn't do this if it wasn't safe." I whispered as I ghosted my lips along her ear. "Now drink sweetheart."

My wrist hovered near her lips as I kissed her lightly and the control snapped within her as she caught the scent on her tongue. She seized my wrist in her hands, closing her lips around the wound and suckling hard.

It was a strange sensation at first like someone had tied a ribbon around my wrist very tightly. I held her in my one free arm as the pressure increased within my veins, there was only one time when it had been this intense and that was during our final evening in Paris.

"Take as much as you need," I murmured as I rested my cheek against her head. A warm sensation was spiraling through every inch of my body and I could feel a cluster of sensations along my skin. They increased as she continued to drink. I had half expected to feel weakened by the action, but all I felt was…heat? I figured it was a reaction her venom was having on me when she had revived me.

I felt her slowly pull her mouth away after a moment and sigh.

"Have you had enough?"

She nodded, her eyes closed and curving her blood stained lips into a smile. I let out a steady breath as the wound on my wrist healed before my eyes, the skin threading itself back in place.

"You have remarkable self control you know,"

Bella turned in my arms and looked up at me, her were slowly returning back to their copper color. "I didn't hurt you did I?" she asked.

"Not at all, in fact it was quite a," I paused for a moment, choosing my words carefully, "pleasurable experience."

Bella smirked, "pleasurable?" she repeated, "You have very strange perception of what is pleasurable Carlisle."

I placed my hands in hers and grinned in spite of myself. "It's all part of being a vampire." I gazed into her face, watching her lips scarlet with blood stains they were only inches from my own. I struggled to maintain my intense urge to kiss her senselessly.

"Then I guess I still have a lot to learn then," she said leaning forward and pressing her lips to my cheek. Our eyes locked together as she pulled away, brushing the tip of her nose against mine. And then before I knew it her lips were on mine again as she pushed me down and practically pinned me to the ground. I threaded my fingers through the mass of ebony hair and was half tempted to lose myself in desire.

"Erm Bella," I began to say as she broke away from my mouth and moved down to my throat.

"Hush, no talking," she murmured before recapturing my lips. I had forgotten to take into account that the effects fresh blood on a newborn vampire resembled that of an aphrodisiac. The influence of it over her would be much stronger if Eleazar had been correct in his assumptions. But I knew we couldn't carry on like this for much longer. I pushed myself up and rolled her over onto her back on the ground before breaking the kiss.

"Bella love," Even when I wasn't breathing I could still feel the effects of her scent against my throat. I propped myself up on my elbows as she moaned at the loss of contact and raised herself up to place arms around my neck again.

"We have to find Emil." I said taking hold of her wrists again and easing her to remain still on the ground.

"Crap." she bit her bottom lip with the tip of her fangs. "I knew I was forgetting something. I'm sorry I don't know what came over me."

"You're just feeling the effects of the blood that's all." I assured her as I sat up and hurriedly got to my feet. "Bloodlust and desire, a very dangerous combination."

"Is that what happened to you?" she asked standing up and brushing dirt from her clothes.

"What do you mean?"

"At the lake when you were trying to calm me down," Bella said looking at me curiously. "When we… you know" If vampires could blush I think the she would have been excessively pink at this point.

I cast my gaze to the ground and allowed myself to smile. "You mean when I made love to you in the grass?" I looked up at her noticing that she had a remarkably sheepish expression on her face.

"No I was in complete control when that happened." I grinned as I took her by the hand and led us back towards the lake.

"Sure you were" she said rolled her eyes and sniffing at the air, taking in the scents and trying to determine which direction Emil had gone. We both quickened our pace through the trees and I could hear the calling cries of many Volturi guards from behind me for the first time. I tried to focus on the goal at hand and forget about the sounds for the moment, they were adding to an even greater amount of distractions.

"I can't see or smell him anywhere," Bella grumbled after a few moments.

"It's just a hunch, but I think Emil is by the lake." I said dodging a low hanging tree branch.

"The lake?" Bella repeated as I caught side of a familiar aqua blue surface glowing in the moon light. "Why would he be there?"

"It's the safest place for him to hide. I mean think about it, no one will be able to track his scent in the water."

Bella nodded and started to slow down as we edged ever closer to the lake. It looked more sinister and foreboding than it had in the daylight. As though a hidden evil was lurking in its depths, then again that might as well be true if Emil was in there.

"He's been here," I murmured in a whisper. "I've got a trace of his scent."

Bella looked around and crouched down low, fixing her eyes on a particular spot where a low branched willow tree stood. I followed her gaze but could see absolutely nothing. And then the shadowy outline emerged from a cluster of bushes to the left of where we were situated. Bella let out a low growl and began to creep forwards, but stopped short when she saw the moon light shine over Jasper's face giving him an even gaunter look than usual. He pressed a finger to his lips and pointed at the willow tree. _How did he get here?_

"Stay close to me," Bella whispered taking hold of my hand and edging closer. She fixed her gaze on one of the long branches of the tree that hung over the water.

There was a loud snapping sound and the largest branch of the tree came crashing down with a deafening splash into the water. Edward let out a low growl and pounced forwards.

Three shadowy figures threw themselves out from the lake and scattered, one of them tackled Jasper head on but was immediately thrown backwards smashing into a tree trunk. It shattered into tiny fragments. The other two had barely walked two yards when a cascade of flames rose up from the grounds and engulfed them. I averted my eyes as the screaming began.

"Shield yourselves!" Jasper called warningly as more dark figures began to ascend from all directions around the clearing. Where had they all come from, hadn't we destroyed the Valhalla guards back on the hillside? I barely had time to contemplate the matter before a half dozen new borns were upon us once again, brandishing swords and growling furiously.

I crouched low and withdrew my own blade, ready to spring as the threat approached.

"Get back," Bella said sprinting around past where I was standing and fixing her eyes over each of the new borns. More flames erupted from the ground and soon the entire lake side was cover in a thick curtain of lavender smoke.

It was truly remarkable for a single vampire to achieve such a result with one glance. More sounds could be heard on, loud snapping and cracking of tree branches accompanied with the arrival of another figure.

"Pathetic," Emil's voice rang out from the spot where the tree branch had fallen. I watched him emerge dripping wet and baring the look of one who had just had his shoulder dislocated. He winced as he approached, flanked by two more of his guards. I was surprised he had any left at this point.

"All that power and strength, you're wasting it Isabella,"

"You're right," Bella said in a steady tone. She held out her hand and gestured for me to take it. I did so without question.

"I should be burning you instead of those pathetic guards you have." She said watching as each of the guards lunged for us, their swords raised. One of them randomly threw it towards me as Bella ignited a wave of flames over them.

I hastily moved Bella aside, knocking her to the ground as the sword flew past us and landed in a nearby tree trunk.

"You must realize that the Volturi are the guilty ones in this" Emil said swinging his second sword in his hand and inching ever closer towards

us.

"They're demeaning and totalitarian regime is destroying the vampire realm."

"And exposing us to humankind is your way of saving it?" I said, allowing Bella to stand up again.

"We are superior to the human race Carlisle; we shouldn't be living in the darkness, hidden from the world. No, it is us who should be making these pathetic mortals hide away."

"The only reason we have been able to survive this long is _because_ the vampire realm is a secret from the human race Emil." I said angrily.

Emil chuckled sardonically and waved his sword around his head. Jasper I thought it was supposed to be Edward who was with them? crouched low to the ground, and prepared to spring.

"You may have deceived your way into society for centuries Carlisle," Emil said, "using your foolish admiration for humankind as a means of living a _vegetarian _lifestyle."

At this both Jasper and Bella pounced at Emil's neck. No, there was one more thing that had to be done before Emil was destroyed. I launched myself forwards and blocked the pair of them from Emil. Bella landed neatly on her feet and growled in frustration as I held her and Jasper back.

"Carlisle what the hell are you doing?" Jasper said in a frustrated growl. His golden eyes were blazing with fury that rarely saw these days. For the first time in many decades he resembled that of the warrior he had been.

"Just wait a moment." I said steadying the sword in my hand and fixing a glance on Emil.

"No," Bella said scrambling to her feet and raising her sword.

"Can I say something first before you kill destroy him Bella?" I asked holding out a hand to restrain her. She nodded once but still maintained her crouching position.

"Emil For years you have manipulated and harmed my family, all for a pathetic goal that would eventually come to nothing."

"All I did was exercise the use of your true potential," Emil said keeping his sword raised as he took a step back.

"You betrayed our trust and practically destroyed us."

"That was your own doing Carlisle, you put the fate of your coven at the risk the moment you fell for her," Emil gestured to Bella who scowled and sent another shot of flames up from the ground. Emil dodged them effortlessly and continued as though nothing had happened.

"Of course it didn't help when I arranged your wife's death." He added coolly. "Granted I never anticipated the old feelings would rekindle."

Bella's head snapped up and she looked at me with wide, questioning eyes. "What is he talking about?"

"Nothing Bella, he's just trying to stir up trouble as usual." I said keeping my expression as neutral as possible. Emil chuckled and made to move away but Jasper crouched directly in front of him. His lips curved back to reveal his fangs and he growled warningly at Emil.

"Just do it," he called looking around between us. "Or else I will."

Bella took a few more steps closer to the water's edge and kept her eyes on Emil.

"I know you Carlisle, and you won't let me die, not like this" Emil said with a smirk. "There isn't a murderous bone in your body for that." I looked down into Emil's empty eyes. "

I smiled and nodded casting my gaze on to the ground. "You're right," I said taking a step back and giving Bella a good clear shot of Emil. "I'm not,"

Bella threw herself forwards and the blade swung down and slashed at Emil's neck. Flames burst into life from the grass as he fell back into the awaiting embrace of the fire.

I watched as the fire consumed him entirely and lilac smoke clouded over the ground. It was over. The battle had been fought and won. It was almost surreal to think about but finally we would be free from the Volturi.

Bella dropped her sword on to the ground and gazed down at the smoking flames. There was a lingering sadness in her eyes as though the reality of what had been lost was sinking in, now that it was over. Charlotte's death, the manipulation and lies that had up till now hung over us like a black cloud. Even though Bella was powerful I knew that, like me, she never relished destroying vampires, even ones as cruel as the Valhalla's. I came up to stand beside her as Jasper threw Emil's sword into the fire as well.

"Please tell me that it's finished and I don't have to destroy any more insane vampires" she said tentatively as she placed her hands in my own. I looked at her concerned eyes, filled with understanding. There was no need for words at this point. I smiled and nodded, wrapping my arms around her and hugging her tightly.

"You're a natural warrior Bella," Jasper said with a half smile in our direction.

She smirked and shook her head guiltily. "I've had some good teachers,"

"True, but you still can't beat me in a duel" I whispered into her ear. She looked up at me and her scarlet lips curved into a smile. "I'm just going to have some more private lessons then," she said before she kissed my cheek.

"Carlisle? Carlisle!"

There was a loud snapping sound of trees, I looked around to see an entire bush being crumpled by something invisible. I moved Bella aside and gazed down at the spot as the vivid image of a small boy materialized in front of me. He looked up at me with wide fearful golden eyes.

"Its okay, it's all over," I said beckoning him to come over, taking my arm away from Bella's waist.

Horatio looked over at the purple smoke clouding the flames and back at me again. "Y-you killed him?" he said aghast.

I shook my head, gesturing to Bella who was watching the child with narrowed eyed.

"You," Horatio asked taking a step closer. "You killed him?"

"Yes," Bella said warily and looking up at me briefly. "It wasn't easy but I managed it eventually."

Horatio stared at her for a moment and then the restraint broke within him. He launched himself forwards and wrapped his arms around Bella waist. Despite his powerful figure, Horatio was still the typical height of a ten year old and only came up to Bella's ribs in height.

"Erm… you're welcome?" she said gazing down at him with a startled expression.

"Nobody's ever been able to do it before," he said pulling away and looking up at her in awe. "I mean many have tried but, he's always gotten a hold on their minds and…" he broke off abruptly and turned to stare at the three familiar Volturi figures as they glided out from the trees followed closely by Alice.

Jasper seemed to have eyes for no one else except his wife. He beamed at her as she came to stand beside him and wrapped one arm around his waist.

"Well, it looks like our work here is done," Aro said walking closer to the fire and examining it closely.

"We need to return to Volterra," Caius said looking around at the sky that was growing brighter and brighter. Dawn was fast approaching, and bringing with it a new beginning in the vampire realm. Emil and the entire Valhalla clan were gone. And all that was left now was the fate of Horatio and his human sister, another battle waiting to be fought.

"Yes indeed we must," Aro said clapping his hands together and beaming at Bella and Horatio with bemused admiration. "There is much to discuss."

Edward snorted loudly and shook his head. "You've already decided to destroy them both," he muttered.

Jane was in front of Edward before I even had time to blink. She smiled at him angelically. Bella let out a low hiss and Horatio moved to stand beside me as a small eruption of flames formed between Jane and Edward.

Jane's smile faltered instantly and she took a step back, glaring at Bella with blazing black eyes. "Put it out now!" she said in a tense voice.

"Only if you leave him alone," Bella snapped. Jane's lip curled to reveal the edge of the fangs, and she moved her gaze upon me. Despite the fact that I had the shield as protection, I couldn't help but flinched away slightly. Bella took a step forward and lowered herself to a crouch automatically.

"Bella," I said moving swiftly to stand beside her as Alice and Jasper came to keep a hold of Horatio. I couldn't risk her losing control again, not this time. And it certainly didn't help if Jane was going to provoke her.

"Come away Bella," I said taking a hold of her hand and attempting to pull her away from Jane.

Bella remained rooted to spot and her eyes were slowly turning an even deeper shade of red. I could feel everyone stare at her almost expectantly, as though they were waiting for the start of some fascinating spectacle to commence.

I wrapped an arm securely around her waist and lifted her off the ground gently.

"Carlisle!" Bella whimpered in shock. "What are you… put me down,"

"Aro," I said in a voice as calm as I could manage. "Unless you want to have Jane reduced to a pile of ashes I suggested you call her back."

Aro chuckled lightly and pressed a finger to his lips, contemplating the proposal. And then after a moment waved a hand in Jane's direction. She rolled her eyes and stalked back to stand with Caius, her fists clenched.

Bella dangled her feet above the ground and struggled to release my hold over her by digging her nails into my hand.

"You have remarkable strength Carlisle in controlling her," Aro said with a quizzical smile. "Let us hope that you can keep it up for the journey home, I would hate if there were to be any accidents." And he beckoned each of us to follow him back towards the hill.

"You didn't need to do that," Edward said as he came up to walk beside me as I lowered Bella to her feet and took a hold of her hand leading her back into the woods.

"Yes he did Edward," Alice said as she walked ahead of us holding on to Jasper's hand. She looked at Bella and held out her hands for Bella to take. She did so without question despite shooting me a perplexed look.

"Bella," Alice began looking down at the ground for a moment. "I want you to know that I am so very sorry for how I acted and behaved these past few months to you."

Even I was taken aback by this gesture; even without Emil's manipulating influence, Alice had always sided with Edward at all costs. I couldn't blame her for doing so; I was the bad guy here, the one who had risked and sacrificed everything to fulfil a single desire.

I caught Bella's eye and nodded, Alice was still giving her an apologetic look.

"Are you going to accept the fact that I'm marrying Carlisle?" she asked with a stern look as we walked.

Alice looked hastily from Edward and back to Bella again. "I don't have much of a choice do I?"

I look on a head of the path way and caught a brief glimpse of Edward's expression in the corner of my eye that strongly resembled a smile…

To Be Continued

Thoughts? _Good/Bad let me know what you think._

_How was Carlisle's POV? Did I capture his character in the canon fashion or was it a bit OOC?_

_Do you think the Volturi will allow Horatio and Alyssa to live?_

**_A/N_**

_Now I am sure many of you are wondering why I have changed the title to this fic and put: "Beyond the Broken Scars. Edited edition" there. It is because I have been working with a friend of mine for the past few months on clearing up the errors in the chapters to this story, and adding a lot of deleted scenes and extras...etc._

_As this fic will soon be ending I wanted to tidy everything up before it finishes. So far chapters 1 to 11 have been altered, and we're still working on the rest. _

___Just one more thing I want to say; I am thinking about writing **a sequel **to this story. But before I do I want **your thoughts on the matter. **I have created **a poll on my profile **enabling _you to vote on whether or not you want a sequel. 

_Thank you all for reading._


	38. Chapter 37

**_A/N_**

_Thank you to everyone for reviewing and subscribing to this story. I am very grateful to you all, and I can hardly believe that this story is over a year old! __There is a Poll is on my profile and you can vote on whether or not you would like to see a sequel to this story._

___I have seen the Eclipse movie twice so far, and yes I loved it, (especially the Cullens training for the battle scenes)._

_Now I fear that you may all dislike this chapter, and I apologize to you if it isn't what you expected. I blame the movie for influencing me ;)._

_**I am looking for a Beta to proof reader the final few chapters to this story, just to point out the errors and typos that I may miss out on. So if you're interested PM me. Thanks.**_

**_Recommended music: "United States of Eurasia" ~ Muse_**

**Chapter 37 **

**BPOV  
**

The journey back to Volterra took longer than anyone of us could have anticipated, and it had been made worse with the tension that lingered between the covens.

There was a heavy burden that still lingered over us that made the process so much worse. And even though Emil and the Valhallas had been annihilated, we were still not exactly free from the Volturi _just yet_. There was still the matter of Horatio and Alyssa to settle, and I feared along with the others that neither the child or the human them had a chance.

Aro would not allow an immortal child to live even if they were no threat to our realm. The reputation of the Volturi was at stake here, and there was no way on this earth that Aro would risk it for anything.

Alyssa, on the other hand, might have a chance if she agreed to be turned. But, from what I had learnt from her experience with vampires, I doubt she would want to choose such a life. I couldn't blame her resentment towards our kind. The vampires had, after all, destroyed her entire family.

Carlisle had voiced our concerns to Eleazar on the matter as we boarded the Volturi's aircraft, which was located in a secluded old airspace, but he seemed uninterested in the fate of either Horatio or his sister.

"You know as well as I do that the Volturi don't make exceptions," he said taking a seat in the far corner of the plane. "I wouldn't bother fighting fate."

I said nothing in response. I merely observed my fiancé frown and concentrated his gaze out the window. For too long he had been told, mainly by Alice, to accept the reality of _so-called fate_ and avoid forming a relationship with me. _"All you're doing is putting off the inevitable and placing our coven at risk."_

But I knew that, like me, Carlisle held a strong belief that we, as individuals, were authors of our own destinies. If Carlisle had followed the _inevitable_ path of immortality then he wouldn't be a vegetarian or a qualified doctor several times over.

I believed that it was his stubborn determination and centuries worth of life experience that had lead him to believe that if a goal was worth fighting for, than nothing and nobody can stop you achieving that goal. And if Horatio was destined to perish under the rule of the Volturi, then I had confidence that Carlisle was going to do the very best he could in making sure that such a fate did _not_ occur.

I was quietly confident about the issue because of the fact that I was the most powerful Vampire to emerge in almost a millennium, and my influence might just be enough to change Aro's mind. But when I voiced this aspersion to Carlisle he hurriedly crushed the idea.

"My love I could never put you in such a position, you are no bargaining chip." he had said.

"They allowed Charlotte to live because of her powers, so why not Horatio?"

"Charlotte was _an adult _Bella, Horatio is a ten year old boy who has been living under the rule of Emil and the Valhallas. Aro is hardly going to offer him a chance."

"So what? We just let him die then?" I whispered.

"You know that is the last thing I want to happen, but you can't argue with the Volturi," Carlisle said gazing at me with an annoyingly calm expression.

"Such a defeatist!" I retorted folding my arms and glancing over at the little boy. If we let him die than Esme's sacrifice would have been for nothing. The thought of it caused a horrible chill to run down my spine, and I shuddered.

Carlisle seemed to recognize my distress because he wrapped an arm around me, and pulled me closer to him. "I didn't say that I wouldn't try my best to help Horatio, but we should be aware of the slim chance of us being successful."

I shrugged my shoulders and continued to look out of the window. I remained silent throughout the rest of the flight.

Fifteen minutes later the aircraft landed in a secluded disused air field outside the Tuscan town of Volterra. There was a small line of glossy black cars waiting in the corner of the runway. Each vehicle had tinted windows on all sides, which was a blessing as the early morning sun was blazing down upon us. It was setting the glittering diamonds lining our skin to sparkle frantically, and as I looked down at my hand, I saw the dozen or so miniture diamonds covering it. This was the first time I was seeing myself like this, and I couldn't take my eyes off my hand. It was a beautiful sight to see.

"Come on Bella," Carlisle said taking my hand and leading into the car, whilst trying very hard to keep a straight face.

The car journey took even lesser time for the volturi drivers seem to have little or no regard for the speed limit. We drove past the black iron gates with guards occupying both sides of entrance to the underground garage of the castle.

The cars came to a halt and several guards came to divide us into groups of four. They led us through different passage ways to the main corridor of Volturi castle. This was a typical safety regulation that Aro had initiated just incase one of us attempted to make an escape. I remained closely by Carlisle's side along with Jasper and Alice following us. Rosalie and Emmett went with Horatio and his sister. The Denalis lingered together in a tight knit group, neither of them wanting to be remotely close to Horatio. I understood their reasons but, nonetheless, it saddened me to see such behavior.

Ten minutes later we had all been gathered in the familiar atrium of Volterra Castle. There was total silence as we filed in the room. We merely gaze around at each other, and then at Aro as he stood in the centre with Caius, the only elder remaining, on his left side. Marcus had met his demise shortly before Carlisle had passed out into the coma. I held no disregard for him even if I disagreed with suicide as a method of escape, realizing that your one true soul mate was dead decades after their demise, the pain of such a thing would only have been eased by death.

The silence was broken suddenly as Aro began to speak; "Firstly I would like to thank each and every one of you for supporting us in the Battle." He said in an offhand fashion. "Thanks to our efforts the human, and indeed the vampire realm is secure one again."

Edward let out a derisive snort that caused Jane to shot a furious glance at him. Aro took no notice of this and continued speaking. "We must now decide what to do with these two," he gestured to Alyssa who was standing beside her brother; both of them looking warily around the area with a mixture of awe and apprehension.

"A meeting is going to be held in one of our conference chambers," he fixed a gaze on me as he spoke. "It shouldn't take too long, but in the mean time you are all free to use are facilities here." He turned and beckoned the two guards holding Horatio and Alyssa away.

They disappeared into one of the side doors that led to a corridor of many private chambers. I was surprised to see that neither one of them looked remotely afraid but, then again after spending so much time with Emil and the Valhallas, this was hardly different for them.

"We will need your assistance on this matter Eleazar," Caius murmured as he turned to beckon him to follow. Eleazar cast a look at his wife who nodded sympathetically, and with a heavy sigh, Eleazar followed the rest of the elders. Each of them looking grim as they marched into the private conference chamber.

Aro stood aside and watched them for a moment before turning to fact us one more.

"_Non vi affannate_ Carlisle," he said carefully.

"_Come posso non quando so della tua reputazione?_" Carlisle asked as he let his hand slip from mine. He took a step closer to Aro, and I followed his movements, feeling slightly surprised at the fact that he spoke Italian as well.

Aro smirked and shook his head, "I only do what is _necessary_ for the good of the _Vampire realm_, you of all people should know that Carlisle."

"But if you have _already_ decided, why are you having this meeting?" It was Jasper who spoke this time, and I could see that he was no happier about this situation than Carlisle was.

"There are _other matters _that need to be resolved here," Aro said as he looked over at the door way, and then at his watch.

"Such as?" Rosalie asked walking forwards and putting her hands on her hips.

"That is none of your concern Rosalie," Aro said with a smile. "I suggest taking advantage of using the spa. No doubt you will want to get cleaned up after the ordeal of the battle."

"Will you be killing the human girl as well?" Carmen asked breaking her silence for the first time since she had arrived here.

"That depends," Aro said as he resumed walking backwards to the conference chamber. "On whether or not Eleazar can see any potential in her. Come Carlisle, as the head of your coven, you should be part of this discussion as well," and with that he vanished through the open doorway, leaving it ajar.

"He's up to something," Edward murmured darkly looking around at each of us.

"Well I'm sure we'll soon find out what it is," Carlisle said turning his gaze to look at me. "Will you be alright for a half hour?"

"I think I can manage," I said casually. "By the way, what were you saying to Aro in Italian?"

"Aro told me _not to worry_," he said with a sigh, "and I said _"__how can I not when I know of your reputation." "_

I bit my lip and nodded thoughtfully. Carlisle pressed his hands into mine and he smiled a smile that sent a flood of warmth through me.

"Don't worry my love, we'll figure out something."

"Okay, you should go before the others get impatient." I said calmly. "I need to have a shower and get clean up."

"An excellent idea" Alice said skipping over to where I was standing, and taking her one free hand in my own. "You coming Rose?"

"No, I'm going to see Horatio. I need to make sure those guards are treating him properly." She said gesturing to Emmett to take her hand.

"I'll see you later." She muttered offhandedly and fixed an almost pleading look in Carlisle's direction.

"I'll do my best Rosalie," he said as she exited out of the main door. There was no need to question her actions towards the matter. Rosalie had always been fond of children, and had always held resentment for the fact that she couldn't have any as a Vampire.

"Edward," Alice said breaking the silence moments after Rosalie had left. Her eyes fixed intently upon him, and wordlessly Edward nodded.

I couldn't help but notice innocence emphasis in her tone that made me feel oddly suspicious.

"Would you come with me?" Carlisle asked hurriedly looking at Edward. He raised his eye brows and then chuckled.

"If you want, but I don't see how I can make much of a difference."

"Well you are the only one who knows of Horatio's mindset than maybe you could put in a good word for him."

Alice let out an impatient sigh and shrugged her shoulders as Jane poked her head behind the door looking livid. "We're waiting Carlisle." she said through gritted teeth. My fiancé nodded and silently walked onward to the door way with Edward following close behind him.

The days that followed were oddly quiet. There was no longer any training or preparation required for battle. And the Volturi had gladly allowed us to depart from their dwellings. I never though I would appreciate the freedom this much, but it was wonderful to be able to go in and out of the Villa without having some menacing guard watching your every move.

I had finally managed to telephone my parents, both of whom seemed perfectly happy. Carlisle had told them that we were all taking a four month trip backpacking around Western Europe. This proved to be a good excuse for my lack of communication these past couple of months.

The only complicated issue was that of the upcoming wedding. Charlie suggested having it back in the states because he was planning on revisiting some friends in Forks. My mom, on the other hand, was all for coming over to Italy with Phil, arguing that she longed to see more of Europe. It wasn't that I didn't want to have them at my wedding, but I was a vampire now. And Carlisle and the rest of the Cullens hadn't aged in the four years since Charlie had last seen him. It would increase suspicions, and then there was the prospect of the Volturi being in such close proximity to consider. I wasn't even supposed to be in contact with my parents, and if they came here the risk of the Volturi finding out would increase.

Alice had suggested waiting until we returned to America. "At least we'll be home, and there won't be any need for precautions." she had said when I had brought the subject up.

She was in much better spirits since leaving the Volturi, in fact, all the Cullens were happier. And that included Edward, although that might have been for another reason. Carlisle's absence. He had insisted on spending the remaining time with Horatio and his sister in Volterra. Rosalie had done the same though it was probably for different reasons. She still held false hopes that Aro would let them live.

But the situation between the human and the immortal child hadn't changed, and it seemed that they would indeed die. Alyssa had stood by her decision to remain human, and Aro made little effort to convince her otherwise. He was torn, however, on the prospect of Horatio mainly because of his unique gift of being able to manipulate wavelengths of light around him so that they exceeded beyond the limit, at which, both human and vampire eyes could see.

The Volturi were known for their exceedingly gifted clan members and Aro would stop at nothing to gain the likes of Edward, Alice or even me on their side. I had seen this when on my fourth day away from the castle when Aro had summoned me into his office.

"I have a proposition for you," he had said to me when I had come in during the early hours of Saturday morning.

I folded my arms and frowned. "What do you have in mind?" I asked looking expectantly at the Volturi leader.

"Join us Isabella," Aro said leaning forward in his chair. "Become an elder, my second in command to the Volturi rule, and in return I will let _the boy_ live."

I froze and stared at Aro in disbelief. If I were to join the Volturi, I would have to leave the Cullens and Carlisle. He could hardly rejoin the volturi again, not when he had his own coven to protect. If I was to give the child and his sister another chance at life. And prevent Esme's sacrifice being a waste then I would have to sacrifice and join the Volturi.

"I can't," I said running a hand through my hair and beginning to pace up and down the chamber "you know I can't leave him Aro. I did it once and I'm not doing it again." _I need to be with him even more than I need blood to quench my thirst._

"And yet," Aro said silkily. "You hold strong doubts over whether his feelings of love for you are genuine."

I stopped dead in my tracks and shot in front of Aro. I was standing mere inches from his face. "How do you know?" I asked feeling my suspicion rise. I had taken extra care to make sure nobody knew of my feelings.

"You were evidently bothered by Edward and Carlisle's argument on the hillside."

I moved backwards and collapsed into a chair, trying very hard to maintain my self control.

"Its not that I don't trust him," I said slowly. "But I don't like the fact that he keeps secrets from me, whether or not they are for my own good."

Aro moved up from his seat and came to sit beside me. "Well I can tell you with full confidence that Carlisle never coveted you for your powers."

"I know that," I said hastily. Venom was clouding my eyes; burning fire was flowing through my vein like poison. I was so confused that I could barely muster the effort to speak. I rose from the chair and walked around to the far side of the chamber, fixing my eyes to the floor.

"I just don't appreciate blackmail Aro," I said without looking up. "And don't I like you manipulating me."

Aro sighed heavily causing the sound to carry around the chamber. "This is a rare honor we are bestowing on you Isabella."

"Yes I am aware of that," I said as I rearranged my face to a neutral expression and turned to face him once more.

"At least let me think about it?" I asked keeping myself as calm as possible.

Aro smiled and nodded in a suspiciously satisfied manner. "I await your answer in twenty-four hours."

I inclined my head and hurried out of his chambers. I left Volterra castle almost immediately, and took the long route back to San Gimignano. The moon was still out and the stars were still peppered over the navy blue sky. I couldn't face the Villa at the moment, not with Alice who would no doubt have seen Aro's offer and my indecision over the matter. But if I stayed away for too long than suspicions may arise and I didn't want any of them to worry.

I took a secluded country route back to the house, hoping for a chance to hunt along the way and get some time to contemplate over matters. I didn't like the prospect of going back to the Villa and facing Alice's questions into whether or not I would join the Volturi. Carlisle would certainly not allow me to, not that I wanted to in any case. But to let Horatio die? How selfish could I be to sacrifice his one chance at life for my own needs.

"Bella?" Edward's familiar voice called out in the distance. I looked straight ahead of me along the narrow stretch of pathway aligned with many olive trees and spotted him leaning against the trunk of a tree.

"Did Alice send you?" I asked walking up to him.

"After what you have been through with Aro I thought you might like some company on the way back." He said gesturing me to walk beside him. I did so without question. I wasn't in the mood for an argument and seeing as Carlisle was probably looking after Horatio and his sister, I could use the company.

"Do you think he'll genuinely let them live?" I asked as I maintained a relatively slow pace with him.

"If you join them?" Edward asked looking at me closely. "Its difficult to say, I mean you are the most powerful vampire in existence for a millennia."

"I doubt Aro would bend his own rules just to get me in his coven." I stated looking straight ahead at the road.

"I wouldn't put it past him," Edward said grimly. "I've read his mind. But you're not considering the offer are you?" he asked after a long moment.

"Of course not," I said looking at him for the first time now. "I'm already in a coven."

"And you're getting married," Edward said looking down at the ground for a moment.

"Yes," I said warily. I didn't want to bring the subject of the wedding up just yet. There was too much bad blood that lingered between us for that to happen.

"Before you marry_ him _Bella, there is something you should know," Edward said stopping in front of me.

"Do I really want to hear this, Edward?" I asked moving out of his way and continuing to walk down the path to the Villa.

"Are you afraid of the truth as well?" he asked following me at a quick step.

"I'm not afraid of the truth. It's the lies that I am scared of."

"I'm not going to lie to you, Bella," He said seriously.

I shrugged and remained silent. It was incredibly tempting to break into a sprint at this point, but that would probably make me look like a coward.

"You know back in the forest in Forks, when I promised you that neither I nor _my family_ would ever interfere in your life again."

I wrecked my brains, but the memory of it was only vaguely familiar. It felt like the whole situation had happened a million years ago.

"Well that promise was broken, but not by me," he added as I opened my mouth to speak. "You see Carlisle didn't take to the idea of abandoning you that easily. I though it was because he feared that you knew too much about our realm and would get into trouble because of it." He smirked and shook his head.

"Turns out I was wrong. The truth was that he had feelings for you."

I let out a heavily sigh of unconvinced irritation before allowing him to continue.

"Jasper told me that he had sensed them arising during the summer holiday period when you broke your leg. The amount of time you were spending together was having a greater affect on Carlisle than anyone of us could have anticipated."

"We were_ friends _back then," I said after a short pause. The venom was building up inside my mouth, and it took a great deal of effort to swallow it back.

"It looked that way on the _outside_," Edward said. "None of us suspected anything. But Jasper did, and I never found out until _after _we left Forks. Both Carlisle and Jasper had kept their thoughts very hidden for a while."

"Right, and did Esme know about this?" I asked in mock seriousness. The action seemed to irritate Edward, because he stopped directly in front of me.

"This isn't a joke Bella," he said sternly.

"I never said it was," I said grinning and shaking my head. "But I don't see why this is important. I know Carlisle was loving and attentive to Esme as always. She was his mate."

"Well I believed he was merely infatuated with you. I mean it was nothing compared to the relationship he had with Esme." Edward said recovering himself slightly. He looked directly at me as though he expected me to burst into tears or start setting the floor on fire.

But I did nothing. I merely stood and returned his gaze.

"I found out many months later, that he use to make trip down to Forks, every now and then, to check how you were doing."

This made no sense whatsoever. If what Edward saying was true than why hadn't Carlisle told me himself?

"Carlisle was even at your graduation you know." Edward said expressionlessly.

"He was at my graduation?" I repeated as I moved around him and started walking again.

"And he made sure you got that place at MIT, plus he made sure that your father would be safe in your absence by arranging the funds for him to go to Australia."

I stopped half way through and looked at Edward's sincere face.

"Carlisle had arranged for me to go the MIT?" My voice had got up a higher octave at this point.

Edward nodded solemnly and fixed his eyes on me, willing me to believe him.

I should have known. I mean I never remember applying for that university, but I got the acceptance letter to study Psychology and English Literature. I hadn't even considered majoring psychology until _he_ had given me that book. I closed my eyes, willing myself to remain calm.

"Is this what you were arguing about on the hillside in Serbia?" I asked abruptly breaking the silence.

Edward nodded his expression unreadable. The Cullens had still interfered in my life, moulded and controled the path that lead me to where I was now. The random appearance of him in class as the guest lecturer, the ease at which we had formed our relationship, and the circumstances that lead me to becoming a vampire.

He knew what my reaction would be if I found out about this. That was the one thing that he was most afraid of, and I would easily bet all the money in the world that Alice knew about this too.

"Why would he do such a thing and not tell me about it?" I asked, thinking back on the reasons that could have made him do such a thing.

"He probably thought you would be suspicious," Edward said casually.

And then it hit me; Aro had reassured me that Carlisle had never coveted me for my powers. Why else would he bring that up when the subject had never been touched on? Was it possible that when the Cullens were in Alaska, Eleazar had told him of the potential a human like me could possess?

Was it possible that all we had been through together was merely a method to get me to fight with the Cullens and the Volturi? Had my love been used as a method of keeping me with them? _No, he knew I would have fought for them regardless. He knew that I wanted to become a vampire long before we had ever developed a relationship. _

"Bella are you alright?" Edward asked from somewhere in the distance.

"No, not really," I said scowling down at the ground and willing myself not to set it on fire. "I'm tired, actually I am_ exhausted._" I suddenly said, breaking the strained silence and I looked up at him with eyes filled with distain.

"Wh-"

"Edward," I cut him off. "I appreciate you telling me this, but it doesn't change anything."

I started walking hurriedly down the path to the Villa. I needed time to think to get my head around all of this, because at present none of this made any sense.

_Why is it that every time I turn a corner I find a new confusing revelation? _

"Bella, where are you going?" Edward called as he followed me at a quick pace.

"For a walk," I said hurriedly. "I need some time alone to get my head around this."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, I'll be fine," I said cooly. "Just tell the others I've gone hunting and will be back soon."

Edward narrowed his eyes suspiciously at me.

"I'll be alright," I reassured him. "but will you please do this one thing for me."

He nodded as I turned on my heel and I sprinted off in the direction of the field. I needed time to contemplate over matter, and decide whether or not Edward was actually telling the truth.

The reality of the situation became very clear to me an hour later, as I sat on the branch of an ancient oak tree. The tree was littered with thousands of rain soaked leaves. I gazed across at the Tuscan village of San Gimignano and I felt grateful that the sun had failed to emerge for the first time in days. The grey and white covered sky was blessing in disguise, at least I could walk around in daylight without fear of exposing myself.

A cool breeze swept across my face and hair, bringing with it a familiar scent that caused my throat to burn again. _Carlisle _had found me. Edward must have told him what had happened, and probably in fear, he had started searching for me.

_Does he have radar or something?_ I was feeling half apprehensive, half disgruntled at the fact that he had managed to fine me so quickly.

I leaned back against the tree and pondered over the two options that I had. The first was to stay up in the tree and hope he wouldn't find me. The second, involved to make a run for it and finding somewhere else to hide for a while.

It seemed that option two would work best, since I was a faster running than him, and staying up here wouldn't help the situation. I swung my legs over a low hanging branch and jump. I fell down several feet before landing cat-like on the damp ground. His scent was growing stronger and stronger as the seconds went by, and I hurriedly sprinted off in the direction of the trees of the Tuscan woodland.

I had barely moved hald a meter when I heard rapid footstep behind me. I accelerated into a full sprint towards the edge of the clearing. I could hear him calling my name from a short distance behind me, but I didn't stop or look back. I kept on running darting from tree to tree, but before long I felt a strong arm seized me around the waist. It brought me down to a slower pace and then an abrupt halt.

"Isabella," Carlisle said holding me steady. "You can't keep running away like this every time something bad happens."

I didn't even bother to struggle; I simply lay back in his arms and scowled crossly. "Do you have any idea how angry I am with you?"

"Yes I know, but running off doesn't solve the issue."

"I wasn't running off, I was… trying to clear my head." I said not meeting his eyes.

"By fleeing half way to Rome?" Carlisle said moving towards a tree and pushing me up against the trunk. He pressed his body closely to mine, so that I couldn't move an inch.

"Don't try and turn this around on me," I said struggling against him. "You're the one who keeps secrets from me."

"The only reason why I didn't tell you was because I knew you would do this,"

"Oh so you admit it then?" I said furiously attempting to free my arms. "That you set me up at university, and sent my father half way around the world?" I said glaring at him furiously. I hated the fact that Edward had actually been telling the truth.

"Why did you do it? So you could seduce me and then make me join your coven and fight with the Volturi against Emil?"

"Don't be ridiculous Bella," Carlisle said looking aggreived. "you know full well that I had no idea about the war between the Volturi and the Valhallas."

"So why did you do it then? Why spy on me after you left Forks, why did you arrange me to go to MIT and then pretend like you had nothing to do with it?"

"I wanted to make sure that you achieved something in your life Bella, after what we put you through it was the least I could do. And Boston was the safest place away from Victoria." He said earnestly. I bit my bottom lip and frowned, still unconvinced.

"It is true that I occasion came back to Forks to see how you were, but it wasn't because I desired you. he added quickly"

"Let me guess the reason why you did come back. It was for my own protection right? You wanted to make sure I was surviving without you?"

"You know why I did it, Bella and it wasn't mainly because of your protection."

"Guilty conscious?" I suggested coldly.

"Because I _missed_ you,"

"Missed me?" I repeated staring at him with eyes filled with a mixture of emotion and amazement.

Carlisle nodded not taking his eyes off my face. "Edward said I was infatuated with you, he was wrong. I never lusted after you Bella, I loved Esme beyond reason, and not once did I ever betray her. I would sooner burn in the fires of hell than do such a thing."

I stopped struggling immediately after he had spoke and took in a swallow unnecessary breath. "Then why did you come back?"

"You were like a best friend to me Bella, and just because I left didn't mean that I stopped caring about you," He said such convection in his words that I could hardy muster the strength to find any falseness in his words.

"Edward didn't allow Alice to check up on you and the only way I could find out how you were was by going down to Forks. I took great care, so that you never saw me." Carlisle eased his grip from around my waist and drew his hand up to brush against my cheek. "I organized some money to be transferred into your father's account and made it took like he had earned an increased salary. It was never my intention to send him off to Australia, I knew the wolf pack were there to offer him protection It was more of a thank you than anything else. He had always been very good to us."

I nodded relaxing my grip around him and leaning back against the tree, feeling a lot calmer now. "This is the truth?" I asked tentatively and I looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"Yes," he said cupping my face in his hands and held it with a fond pressure. "It was only after Esme had die, and I had returned to MIT to rekindle our friendship, that I discover that I was in love you."

He gazed in my face with languid and burning eyes. I couldn't say another word for. at that moment, he had pressed his lips to mine and I was lost. The kiss was like the ardor of a lover; it was heated and overpowering. The scent of him engulf like an invisible fog. And as his lips traveled along my cheek in kisses he whispered, ""You are mine, you _shall_ be mine, and you and I will be one for ever." As he dropped his hands from my face and moved them to my waist.

"Why are we waiting then?" I asked wrapping my arms around his neck. "Why can't we just get married now?"

Carlisle pulled away for a short moment, and stared at me coppery gold eyes shining with venom. "Now? But Bella, don't you want to plan the ceremony?"

"All I want is to become husband and wife," I murmured leaning in to kiss his cheek. "No more obstacles, no more doubts. Just you and me."

His face seemed to glow with such emotion that I had to steady myself up to him.

"In that case Mrs. Cullen," he said with a hint of a smile forming on his lips. "We'd better gather the others." and the restrain broke within him as he kissed me again, and again. He lifted me off my feet and cradled me in his arms, before walking back up the pathway towards the Villa.

~to be continued.

_Thoughts? Good or Bad let me know. All comments are very helpful._

_Do you think there will be a wedding? _

_Will Aro and the Volturi attempt to prevent the marriage?_

_What will become of Edward?_

_Is there a chance that Bella will join the Volturi to save Alyssa and Horatio?_

_Credit to my beta, who blames the darling doctor on screen for inspiring the last bit of this chapter. _

Thank you for reading


	39. Chapter 38: The Beginning Of The End

**_A/N_**

_To everyone who had read, reviewed and subscribed to this story, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Without all your support and encouragement this story would never have reached this point. _

_I dedicate this chapter to each and every one of you. _

**_Disclaimer: I am not S. Meyer, all characters in this story are of her own creation, except for Horatio and Alyssa. Those two characters, along with the plotline are mine. _**

**_*_**_Note: The final sentence in this chapter is a direct line taken from one of the four books in the Twilight__ saga, and was written by S. Meyer, not by me. _

**_Recommended music: _**_Wedding Plans/__Eclipse (All yours) by Howard Shore & Metric. (From the offical Eclipse Movie Score.) _

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**CHAPTER 38**

**The Beginning Of The End**

_""I've had to face death, and loss, and pain... in your world but I've never felt stronger... more real... more myself. _

_Because it's my world too. It's where I belong."_

**BPOV**

_"You are mine, you __shall__ be mine, and you and I are one for ever" _Carlisle's words replayed in the back of my mind, over and over again as the clock struck twelve, sending a loud echoing chime to resonate along the bustling street of Volterra. I gazed down at the fountain in the centre of the square as the water flowed out in high jets up above it.

I rested my hands on the dark stone fence aligning the edge of the high balcony. My eyes scanned over the city before me and far out over the Tuscan hillside in the distance. I had seen relatively little of Volterra since arriving here four months ago, but I knew that I would miss the place nonetheless. The bustling sounds of the lunch time crowd going in and out of the many cafés and restaurants in the street. The car engines being revved in the far distance, and the sound of children playing outside in the school playground. I could hear almost every little detail, including the sounds peoples heartbeat and the flow of blood in there veins. Everything was still very new to me as a vampire, and I knew that in time, I would learn to tune out these sounds.

A silkily voice called my name from behind me and broke my trail of thoughts, bringing me back to reality. I turned on the spot and looked at the clock a few meters across from me.

_It was time_.

I lifted up the hem of my cloak, taking great care not to get any dust on it, and walked at human speed down the spiraling stone staircase. I was lead down into a dimly lit corridor with wood paneled walls and a crème colored marble floor.

My footsteps echoed softly on the ground as I walked down, feeling the numbing sensation of my nerves creep in over me. I gripped the arm of my guide tightly as I walked up to the black wooden double doors. I stopped outside them for a few seconds and release my guide's hold over me. I used both hands to lower my hood and untie the ribbon holding my cloak over me. I let the soft velvet material fall to the floor, exposing my floor length satin A-line white dress with a single lace strap. I exhaled and took another step forwards up to the door.

"Relax Bella," my guide said with a small smirk curling his lips. My shield was cocooning me so well at this point, that not even _his_ powers could penetrate through it.

The door opened with a rumbling creek and a bright light shone through the gap between them as it grew larger and larger. I swallowed and felt the burning sensation erupt in my throat once again. I exhaled deeply, willing myself to keep calm.

My guide walked up beside me and beckoned me forwards, taking my hand in his as he did so. I stepped into the circular chamber with it high domed ceiling, from which a large crystal chandelier hung. I gazed around at the Romanesque interior bedecked with lavish frescoes that covered the entire walls. It was a breathtakingly beautiful building, and as I walked in, the silence was broken as _the second movement to Rimsky-Korsakov's __The Story of Calendar Prince_ began.

Alice stepped forward in front of me, dressed in a light blue knee length strapless dress. She gave me a small smile and handed me a bouquet of pink and white orchids and freesias. "Are you sure about this Bella?" she asked in a small whisper.

"Yes," I murmured in a low whisper. She nodded and turned, walking back up the chamber with a sheepish expression on her face.

I fixed my eyes straight ahead of me, taking a slow and steady pace towards the figure standing a few meters away. He was dressed in a jet black suit with a matching waist coast over a pure white shirt and a light blue tie. His pearl white face seemed to glow with an angelic beauty, that I had only seen in Grecian statues. I was momentarily speechless at the sight of him. He looked positively stunning.

I felt my lips curve into a smile as I came up to stand beside him, and my guide eased my hand off his arm.

"Thanks Jasper," I said, and he winked before walking around to stand beside Carlisle.

Eleazar, who had been ordained a few hours ago, stepped forward and cleared his throat. We had decided that it would be easier with a vampire performing the ceremony, as I still wasn't in control of my thirst yet.

"We are gathered here today to witness the union between this man and this woman." He said his prominent Spanish accent. "Before we begin, is there anyone here with moral grounds into why these two should not be married?"

I waited, knowing that no one would come. the only people who knew about this were already in the chamber. Edward hadn't returned to the Villa after I had left, and Alice wasn't letting anyone know where he had gone. This was a strange move on her part, but she had been acting rather differently since leaving the Volturis castle. She had seen our decision, but had graciously stepped aside and allowed us to organize things ourselves. The Volturi were still preoccupied with Horatio and his sister, and I was confident that they wouldn't find out about this. My union with Carlisle would make it much harder for them to get me to join their coven.

After a brief pause, Eleazar continued with the ceremony, and we used our own edited version of the traditional vows commonly used. I was asked to go first, but in my nervousness I had insisted on Carlisle to go first. He did so without question, and he took my hand in his own, looking at me with shining gold eyes.

"Bella," he began in voice that sent a flood of fire along my veins. "Before I found you my life was shrouded in darkness and cold. You were my guiding light that brought hope and faith back into my world. You are everything that's good and pure and true. And from this day forward I will worship you with my mind, body and soul. I love you more than I thought was possible." He withdrew a white gold wedding ring from Eleazar's right hand.

He then made to kiss each one of my fingers before sliding the wedding band onto my finger. "I give you this ring as symbol of my eternal love and devotion to you," and he kissed my hand one final time.

If there had been any doubt lingering in my mind it was fully gone now. There was no questioning the truth and honesty in his words. Our union wasn't wrong; it was destiny. He had been my fate all along. From the moment I set eyes on him I knew, deep down, that he would become more to me than any other man would in my entire existence.

The realization of this cast aside all guilt and doubt from my mind. I wanted to bury my face in his chest, and lose myself in his deliciously intoxicating scent. I wanted to feel his arms tightly wrapped around me and have his lips on mine, claiming my mouth with unwavering authority. I wanted him to…

"Bella, your vows?" Eleazar asked bringing me back down to reality. I looked up at him and blinked a couple of times, recovering myself. I took a deep breath and whispered softly, "Carlisle, your energy and your passion inspire me in ways I never thought possible. Your inner beauty and strength is such that I no longer fear being myself. I no longer _fear_ at all. For you have become not just my lover and companion, but also my best friend. You give me purpose when I feel I have none. Without you my soul would be empty, my heart broken, and my being incomplete." I tore my eyes away from him and reached out to take the wedding ring that was resting in the palm of Eleazar's hand.

I then placed it carefully on Carlisle's finger.

"I give you this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity." I looked up at him again to see that his eyes were laced with venom, and were slowly darkening. "And from this day forward I am yours, forevermore."

"By the powers vested in me," Eleazar said in a slightly awed voice. "I now pronounce you, husband and wife."

I felt a torrent of burning ice cascade down my spine as he spoke the words I had been longing to hear for many months. _Husband and wife. _

"You may now kiss your bride," And then Carlisle's arms were around my waist. I leaned in to inhale the delicate aroma before he bent down and caught my mouth with his own. I let the bouquet I was holding fall to the floor, and I stood on my tip toes. My arms coiled around his neck, and I began losing myself in the kiss.

His hand slid down the small of my back and,I was in danger of losing all my self control at this point. And after a moment, I felt him pull away.

"Bella," Emmett's voice sounded for close beside us. I looked up over in his direction to see both him and Jasper grinning bemusedly. "You've set the floor on fire again."

I looked wildly around and noticed the bright flickering orange flames dancing in the corner of the chamber, a few yards away from the others.

"Damnit," I muttered feeling embarrassed at the fact that I _still _couldn't keep my emotions under control.

Carlisle chuckled and kissed my cheek.

"It's not funny." I stated glancing at him, and ignoring the mutterings of the others.

"Yes it is, Mrs. Cullen," he murmured in my ear and still keeping one arm firmly around my waist, Carlisle led me over to the fire.

I tried very hard not to smile at the mention of my new name. "You keep provoking me," I said as I fixed my eyes on the fire and gradually watched the flames become smaller, and smaller until they had vanished completely.

"You need to learn to channel your emotions Bella," Eleazar said as he wrapped an arm around Carmen's waist.

"Otherwise Carlisle will have to take a fire extinguisher on the honeymoon." Jasper said as he attempted to keep a straight face.

I smiled weakly, but my thoughts came clouded again at the prospect of the looming decision I had to make. I looked over at Alice and she smiled at me with a lingering sadness in her eyes. And then, suddenly her expression went vague and I knew she was seeing a new decision made by either the Volturi or Edward.

I couldn't put off my fate any longer, and soon I would have to go to Aro myself. But I before I could do anything, I needed to discuss the matter with Carlisle.

* * *

After the ceremony Carlisle had announced that he had a surprise for me, and had lead me away from the city of Volterra entirely. We drove up to a forest of Monte Forato a few miles outside of Volterra. I had no idea why I was being taken here, but my curiosity silenced my impatients in finding out where exactly we were going. I was still trying to figure out how I would tell my husband of Aro's offer.

He took me to a secluded part of the woodland and parked the car close by the forest. He then lifted me out of the car and carried me through the forest.

"I take it that we're not going hunting?" I asked gesturing to the wedding dress I was still wearing. I could hardly start running around the woods wearing this.

"Not exactly," he said, slowly down slightly as he came up to the bridge over the Turrite stream. It was remarkable how he could carry me so effortlessly in his arms, and still take extra care in making sure my cloak and dress didn't trail on the ground.

I looked around at the surrounding emerald green leaf cover trees just beyond a grey rocky cliff side with a freshwater fountain. The path soon crosses the paved road and my curiosity grew even more as we enter a dimly lit cave.

"Where are we going?" I asked look around up at the dark stone ceiling, and observing the water dripping down. The sound of it echoing off the walls.

"It's a surprise," Carlisle said effortlessly moved past the rocks and coming out into the daylight once more.

We entered the woods again following the trail towards a heavily concealed clearing, lying just beyond a cluster of rocks that lead to the Foce di Petrosciana. Carlisle pushed through the densely arranged floral bushes and stopped in the centre of a circular clearing in the wood.

A large variety of different colored flowers lay undisturbed in the long grass, and a few meters away, there was a small stream with a waterfall cascading gently into the shimmering blue depths.

"What do you think?" he asked lowering me to my feet and gesturing to the large blanket covering a good portion of the ground.

A silver colored box overflowing with ice cubes that were surrounding the many glass bottles filled with crimson liquid. A set of portable speakers lay embedded in the grass emitting _Beethoven's moonlight sonata_.

"It's beautiful," I murmured looking around at the sight before my eyes, and feeling slightly amazed. "Did you do all this yourself?"

"We all contributed, Alice suggested scattering cherry blossoms around the edges of the blanket." He said taking my hand and leading over to the blanket.

I kicked off my shoes and collapsed on the blanket. I smoothed out my dress, making sure it didn't crease. Alice would never forgive me if I ruined it. Carlisle, despite having carried me through a forest and a cave, had kept his suit in pristine condition. He unbuttoned his suit jacket and lay it down on the blanket.

"Are you thirsty?" he asked.

"A little," I said leaning over and pressing my lips to his. We spent a good few minutes like this, and I had to fight the urge to tear his constricting clothes off him. But, after a long moment, he pulled away and reached a hand out in to the ice box.

"Here," he asked handing me a bottle of blood, "Emmett left us about ten bottles."

"I dont think I'll need that many," I said taking a long sip of - what tasted like - deer's blood. The cool sensation instantly eased the fire that was building up in my throat. "Does the burning ease off with time?"

"You get use to it after a few decades," he said grinning.

"A _few decades_?" I repeated widening my eyes. How was I supposed to stay away from humans for a few decades?

Carlisle chuckled. "As long as you fed regularly it won't be too bad. Don't worry about it my love; you already have exceptional control over your thirst."

"So I won't have to keep away from humans for years?"

"No, I'de probably give it a few months at most." He said thoughtfully as he opened his own bottle of blood. "And since you've never tasted human blood, the process will be a lot easier for you."

I thought back to Jasper and his conversion from a human blood diet to woodland animals. If he could do it and still keep his control around humans, than so could I.

"Are there any animals around here?" I asked, hoping that there weren't. I couldn't afford to ruin my dress or else Alice would be livid.

"A few, but they won't be out at this time. There might be a couple of squirrels along the pathway beyond this clearing, although hardly any living thing hangs around the _Tana che urla_. "

I lowered my bottle and wiped the blood from my lips. "The what?"

"The _Tana che urla_, it means the _l__air that screams." _His lips twitched as he gazed at my confused expression_. _"It's a grotto that has existed for centuries, but only speleologists are permitted to explore it. You can, however, walk to the entrance and hear the underground river that makes the cave "scream." " He smiled at my disbelieving expression.

"Are you making this up?" I asked, narrowing my eyes in mock suspicion.

Carlisle smirked and shook his head. "You can Google it if you want," and he pulled his iPhone out from his pocket. After a few minutes he handed it to me and I examined the screen.

_"Due to the sound the water makes, ancient local folklore said this was the entrance to Hell and the noise were the screams of damned spirits." _I read aloud from the description.

"Do you know about this ancient folklore?" I asked, handing the iPhone back to him, and then resting my head against his chest.

"A brief version of it," Carlisle said casually running his fingers through my hair.

"One of the many legends I heard whilst I was in Garfagnana, a century and a half ago, regards the origin of the hole in the mountain. Legend has it that it was caused during a tremendous clash between San Pellegrino and the Devil himself." He paused and took another sip of blood before continuing.

"The Devil, tired of seeing the saint pray and sing all day, sought to tempt him while he was making a beech wood cross, all in vain. Irritated, the Devil slapped the saint so hard that he was knocked down. San Pellegrino slowly got back up and, also tired of the continuous torments, he was made to endure. But instead of ignoring it, the saint slapped the Devil right back so hard that he was hurled against the crest of the mountain. The Devil hit the mountain with his head, and the terrible impact created the hole that we can see today."

I gazed up at him in wonderment, completely engrossed in his story. "How do you remember all of this?"

"Vampires have good memories" he shrugged, "and I have a habit of reading up on ancient European legends, Aro was particularly fond of reading about them, back when I was with the Volturi."

I fell silent after that and gazed wistfully at the white clouds overhead. The sun's rays glowed gently down over us, sending our skin into glittering sparkles.

The mentioning of Aro and the Volturi reminded me suddenly of the decision I still had to make. I couldn't put it off any longer. I had to tell him.

I gazed down at the glinting platinum wedding band on my finger. It was too late. My choice had been made, and unlike Esme, I would have to chosen Carlisle over the Immortal child. My own weakness had conquered me to the point of oblivion. But to see him die, could I really be that selfish and cruel?

"Bella," he whispered softly. I raised myself up, and turned around in his arms, so that I was face to face with him. "Are you happy?"

I smiled and leaned in, kissing his lips once. "Yes, I am." I said pulling away and gazing into his darkening eyes. It was now or never.

"I have to tell you something," and I sat up on my knees, completely forgetting about creasing the dress now.

Carlisle watched me closely and remained silent.

My mouth went dry and I reached over for the bottle, draining its entire contense in one, before beginning. "Last night, when you were with Horatio, Aro called me into his study." I paused and took a breath.

"And he made me an offer." I was turning the words over and over again in my head.

"He offered to spare Horatio and his sister, and in return I would replace Marcus and become his second in command." I said, getting to my feet and walking off the blanket. I stood in the grass and watched the blue tinted water pour into the stream.

The silence grew more prominent as the minutes went by. This wasn't normal, usually there was some motion. Some course of action or response. But not in this time.

"He's given me twenty-four hours to make my decision."

Silence.

I closed my eyes for what left like hours. I wasn't use to this.

The quiet.

The lack of response.

The tension that lingered between us, and all of a sudden everything felt wrong.

* * *

**CPOV**

It took a while for the words to register in my mind. The shock had overpowered me into a state of total silence. But I knew that Aro would do something like this. Ever since he had discovered Bella's true powers he had been growing more and more obsessed with them. The desire to have her in his coven, as an elder and second in command, had reached breaking point on the battle field. I recalled the memory of when he had reduced Marcus to pieces. The shattered remains of a brilliant and gifted vampire, reduced to nothing.

I was never the type of man to hate anyone, apart from Emil, but even then I had never acted on my emotions. It was always due to the fact that I thought I was a better person than that. I had promised myself long ago that I wouldn't reduce myself to such a level as my enemies.

But this time was so very different. Aro had, once again, crossed the line. To place Bella in such a position like this was positively sickening. To give her the option of abandoning her coven and the man she loved to spare an immortal child and his sister. How could he put a new born in such a position? Bella was nothing like Esme, and I knew that in marrying me today, she had already made her choice. She might not have been able to admit it to herself yet..

Allowed Esme to sacrifice herself for Horatio had been the biggest mistake of my life. And I wasn't planning on making it again. Even if it meant confronting Aro myself, I would not let him do this to her. Bella had, had enough manipulation and lies to last her a life time. Enough was enough.

I got to my feet and walked up behind her slowly. My arms coiled around her waist and I pulled her back against my chest. Her frame seemed to shudder in relief and she leaned back against my arms. Her head resting on the left side of my collar bone.

"I'm sorry," she whispered softly. "I should have told you sooner..."

I hushed her words and pushed the stray strands of black hair aside, exposing her neck. "You don't have to worry my love, I'll take care of Aro." I planted a kiss on her skin. The scent of it caused an electric charge to ripple along my spine.

"It's up to me to decide Carlisle, the fate of that boy is in _my_ hands."

"We will deal with this together my love, as husband and wife,"

I turned her around in my arms and gazed into her glossy black eyes. She was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen, and she was _mine_. All mine, and I would rather burn in the fires of hell before allowing Aro to claim her in his coven.

"Do you know what Horatio wants Bella? Have you even consider his feelings on the matter?" The question, I knew, took her off guard and she blinked several times. A frown forming on her perfectly shape ruby lips.

"No, I haven't" she admitted regretfully.

"He wants to live Bella, but not if it means there having to be any more sacrifices." I said seriously, "It nearly broke his heart when Esme died and I doubt he would wanted to have the same thing happen again with you."

Bella looked down at the ground for a long moment and sighed heavily. "What can I do? I love you too much to abandon you and the coven, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if Horatio was killed."

"Whatever you decide to do, I'll stand by you no matter what happens." I said earnestly

"So if I joined the Volturi then you would-" Bella started to say, but I managed to finish the sentence for her.

"-rejoin them, yes."

Bella's eyes widen and she cupped my face in her hands. There was an awed expression forming on her face now."You would do that?" she asked.

"I would do _anything_ for you,"

My mouth captured hers - demanding and possessive - as I pressed myself against her. Every inch of her was sending me into a frenzy of desire. I coiled my arms around her and ran my fingers along the back of her dress, loosening the buttons. Her hands flew up and she latched on to my waist coat. There was a loud ripping sound as she tore it open along with my shirt. I broke away from her away immediately and gazed into her face.

"You really shouldn't have done that," I said as my lips curled into a small smile. I began pushing the single strap of her dress off her shoulder, and then, I tore the dress off her body entirely. The white silk material fell down to form a pool at her feet.

I gazed over the laced ivory mesh basque covering a good portion of her chest. It was embellished with opulent floral embroidery and ribbon detailing. If she had looked stunning before, it was nothing compared to how she looked now. Bella's eyes were wide in shock as she gazed down at the remains of her dress on the ground.

"I can't believe you just did that," she said looking back up at me with a somewhat awed expression.

"You're not the only one who can lose control Bella," I said removing my tie, and what was left of my shirt, from my neck. "And besides you do it to me all the time." I gave her a grin as I spoke.

Bella narrowed her eyes and took a step forwards, and placed her hands on her hips. "Thats because I'm a new born. You, on the otherhand, are not and what you did was unecessary -" She seemed totally oblivious to the fact that she was dressed only in bridal lingerie. Very _revealing_ bridal lingerie.

I stopped her in midsentence as my lips captured hers once more. My hands resumed exploring every inch of her body, undoing the strings holding her basque together. She whimpered against my lips as I slid my tongue against hers, and after a few minutes, all concealing fabric had been completely removed. She was void of all clothing at this point.

Bella ran her finger nails down my back, causing a growl to leave my mouth. I sucked hard at her skin, and then bit down at her neck careful not to break the skin, but forceful enough to leave a permanent mark. _My mark, _and from this moment - she was _mine_ for eternity.

She arched herself to me and ran her hand through my hair, tugging it slightly. I groaned, feeling the tension rise even further. I moved a hand downwards, cupping her breast in my hand and giving the end of it a sharp pinch. The ends elongated at my touch and Bella's soft agonized moans reduced me to breaking point.

"Is this what you're like when you lose control?" she gasped breathlessly.

"I haven't lost control Isabella," I murmured as my mouth came crashed against hers again. Her fingers moved down my chest, grazing my skin with her nails, to the button of my pants. And carefully she removed them, pushing them down to the floor along with the rest of our clothes.

"Oh really?" she whispered with a small smile as she closed her hand around my shaft, applying a gentle pressure over it.

I closed my eyes and groaned, knowing that I wouldn't be able to keep this up for much longer. In a swift fluid motion, I scooped her up and lay her down on the blanket. I parted her thighs before me and positioned myself over her. A flicker flashed acrossed her eyes and they had become jet black with desire. I leant down and kissed her again before entering her with a deep thrust.

My will powered dissolved the instant she had cried out loudly in pleasure. She wrapped her legs around my waist as I sank inside her furiously, over and over again.

Her hips moved with perfect rhythm to my own as I held her up, practically lifting her off the ground. I wrapped my fingers around the black velvet of her hair and kissed her.

"I love you," I murmured against her mouth as I drove deeper into her. The tightening sensation of her muscles around me increased, and she moaned my name in a voice laced with honey.

She was so close to the edge, but I knew I could give her more. I wanted to give her more, and with a deep growl, I pulled out off her.

"C-Carlisle," she whimpered in anguished. I pressed my lips to hers and silenced her moans before whispering,"turn over, my love,"

Bella's eyes widened as comprehension dawned upon her. She rolled over on the blanket, as I pulled myself upright and held her hips. I pulled her towards me, and in one fluid motion, I was inside her again.

She let out a low gasp of delight as I began thrusting into her again. The new position sent a torrent of electric shocks along every fiber of my being. Bella rocked backwards and forward, emitting loud cries of pleasure.

I tightened my grip around her hips, digging my nails into her stone-like skin, as I increased the pacing of each thrust.

"Oh, please don't stop," she whimpered, buring her face in the blanket. I knew that she was enjoying this as much as I was. Her entire body seemed to be on fire with the pleasure that was cascading within her veins.

"I wouldn't dream of it, sweetheart," I replied gaining speed as I felt her buckle against me. I moved hand around to the most sensitive point between her legs, touching it lightly with my forefinger. I rubbed gently circles against it, gaining a quick pace as I did so.

She let out high pitched gasp as the tension exploded around her, and she shuddered as the wave of the climax washed over both of us.

"Bella!" I closed my eyes savoring the sensation around her. It was so powerful that minute flashes of bright white light exploded before my eyes. She moaned my name out loud again and continued to rock in rhythm to the movement of my hips.

I pulled out of her gently, and lay back against the blanket, as she crawled over to rest her head on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, and kissed her forehead tenderly. We remained silent for a few minutes, both breathing deeply, savoring the aftermath of the consummation of our marriage.

* * *

We spent the rest of the day in the forest, drinking the remaining blood left over in the ice box, listening to whatever track came on the sound system, and discussion what we would do on our return to Volterra.

Bella had agreed that it was time to let Aro know of our decision, that was, slightly different from the two options he had offered us. But with any luck, the Volturi leader would agree to this new arrangement. I was quietly confident that he, along with the other members of his coven, would spare Horatio and his sister.

The prospects on the matter from Alice's point of view were at a moot point. She had seen nothing relating towards the outcome, except that a more positive future was ahead of us after we left Volterra. And if we could come to a deal with Aro, than hopefully, the others would be going back to the states by tomorrow evening at the lastest. Bella and I, on the otherhand, would be departing on our honeymoon, the location of which, I had kept a surprise.

The sky was gradually darkening by the time we made out way back to the car. Bella had been reluctant to go anywhere, because she had nothing to where except my suit jacket. Luckily, Alice had seen the outcome of our time alone together in the forest, and had sent Jasper along to deliver us new sets of clothes. Bella had dressed in simple skinny jeans and an vintage rock band T-shirt, whilst I had settle for a short sleeved black shirt and pants.

"She'll never forgive me for ruining the dress," Bella mumbled sadly as Jasper drove the car back to Volterra. I had remained with Bella in the backseat, as her head resting on my shoulder.

"Don't worry about it," Jasper said casually leaning back in the driver's seat as he drove down the country lane at the car's top speed. "She's already bought a back-up just incase you wrecked the first one." he grinned in Bella's direction and she raised her head, casting a furtive glance at me.

"You tore it off me," she said defensively, with the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.

"After you ripped open my..."

"...Guys please," Jasper called, looking back at us with a pleading expression. "I don't need to hear details."

Bella cast her eyes down to the ground and started laughing. I wrapped my arms around her and brought her head back to rest against me.

The atmosphere was a lot more relaxed by the time we returned to the Villa that evening. Rosalie was bidding good bye to the cleaners as we wondered in through the back door to avoid Bella being exposed to the human blood scent.

"You're back!" Alice cried jumping to her feet and throwing her arms around Bella. "I was worried the Volturi might have got to you."

"Have they been here?" I asked, wondering in behind Jasper.

"About half the guards were," Rosalie murmured walking in with Emmett following beside her. "They're looking for Edward," she stated, folding her arms and looking over in Bella's direction.

"Why Edward?" Bella asked curiously. "I'm the one who has to decide on whether-"

"- Edward has vanished Bella," Alice said seriously. "None of us have seen him for almost a day and a half now. And I've been searching for him in my visions, but have found nothing."

I gazed down at the ground for a short moment, unable to rid the familar feeling of guilt that had crept over me. Bella, who was usually the first to be affected by such news, merely shrugged. "He probably just needs some time to come to terms with thing." She said carefully. " But what I don't understand is, why the Volturi are looking for him?"

"Because he isn't the only one who has gone missing," Rosalie said darkly. I looked up at her closely and frowned, contemplating the only other vampire whose disappearence, would cause the Volturi to act in such a fashion.

"Horatio's gone?" I asked walking up to stand in between Alice and Rosalie. They both nodded, and kept their faces expressionless.

"And his sister," Emmett finished shifting slightly beside his position against the wall.

"Alyssa?" Bella exclaimed with wide eyes. "Wait, are you saying Edward's run off with an immortal child and a human, just taken them out of Volterra?" her tone suggested that she didn't believe a word of it.

"Thats exactly what we're saying," Rosalie said folding her arms and leaning back against the wall. Alice sighed heavily and closed her eyes, pressing her index finger to her temple. She was trying to concentrate on locating Edward's whereabout.

"I can't believe he would do something so stupid and reckless." Alice murmured after a few minutes of quiet.

"You didn't see it coming?" I asked, playing a hand in front of my mouth. Alice shot me a glance and shook her head. "Of course not, the decision was totally random on his part."

"He must have done it after the wedding," Jasper suggested.

"We have to go and see Aro," Bella said, cutting across him quickly, and looking at me.

"Indeed we must, but what good can it do?"

"If we are ever going to find him," Bella said earnestly. "then we're going to have to get the Volturi on our side."

"Bella, if they find Edward they'll kill him, along with Alyssa and Horatio," Rosalie exclaimed. "you can't go to them."

I calmly stepped up to where Bella was standing and wrapped an arm around her waist, before glancing around that the others.

"She's right, if we don't get the Volturi on our side they'll forbid us from leaving Volterra," I paused and took a deep breath, contemplating the situation before us. If we are seen to cooperate with the Volturi, then it will give us more liberty to find Edward and the others before _Aro_ does."

"And then what are we suppose to do with them if we find him?" Emmett asked sternly. "Just hand him in to Aro and his pack of,"

"Emmett don't be ridicilous," Bella said hurriedly. "We'll be protecting him and making sure that the Volturi never find him," she sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. "I can't believe he would do something like this."

"Can't you?" I said looking at my wife with a mixture of anguish and adoration. "This is exactly the type of Vigilante thing Edward used to do back in his _adolescent stage _of being a vampire."

"He's rebelling against an injust and unfair law, saving the lives of innocent victims." Rosalie said looking over at me.

"And, in the process, putting himself on the most wanted list of the most powerful vampire coven in our realm." I finished slowly.

We all murmured in agreement and then remained silent for a long moment, each of us contemplating what should be done next. "If he's gone anywhere," Alice said confidently. "It has to be America, there's nowhere else."

"Fine, well we're going to have to go back and hunt around all our old dwellings." I said looking over at Rosalie and Emmett.

"But first," Bella said fixing her copper colored eyes on me. "We have to go and see Aro, now."

I nodded. "Once we get leave to depart from Italy, we'll start searching,"

"How can you be sure they'll let us go?" Emmett asked looking at each of us.

"Oh they will," Bella said grimly and taking a hold of my hand. "Aro won't turn down the offer I have for him."

* * *

We made our way down to the Volturi's castle a half hour later, once the arrangements and plans had been settled. Jasper would get _J. Jenks_ to set us up with new documentation, while Alice and Rosalie organized flights and places for us to visit once we returned to America.

The most important task of all was in Bella's hands now, and that was persuading Aro to let us go. I wasn't too confident that he would, given the current circumstances, and the rest of the covens in the vampire realm would no doubt hail the Voluri as weak if news traveled that they had managed to lose an immortal child and a human from right under their noses. But, I hadn't expressed my worries and doubts to Bella, because despite all the negativity around us, I still had confident that she could achieve something positive out of this whole thing.

"You don't have to come in with me," she said as we walked down the familar corridor of Volterra castle.

"I want to," I murmured, pressing her hand to my lips and smiling at her.

"Good, because I doubt I could handle this without you," she said truthfully.

"I have a hundred percent faith in you," I said planting a quick kiss on her lips. "I mean you've survived tougher situations than this one."

Bella smiled and nodded, giving my hand a gently squeeze. "I love you," she said as we came up outside the double doors of the atrium.

"And I love you, Mrs Cullen." I murmured softly

We waited, knowing that at any moment the doors would be opened by Jane Volturi, and we would be led in to face Aro once more. Sure enough, some five minutes later, the doors opened wide and the angelic looking blond vampire beckoned us forward in to the Atrium to meet the Volturi leader once more, and attempt to make a deal that could easily jeopardize the fate of our entire coven.

_I squared my shoulders and walked forwards to meet my fate, wih my destiny solidly at my side._

~The End

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_Thoughts? Good/Bad/Terrible?_

What did you think of the wedding?

How about the outcome of this entire chapter and the way it ended?

Do you think Edward is a foolish hero or a cunning villan?

What was Bella planning on offering Aro in exchange for the Cullens to be able to leave the country?

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__I know some of you are probably alittle shocked / disappointed by the outcome of this story, but this had been the main plotline from the day I started this fic over a year ago. _

_Once again, if you would like to see __**a sequel **__then you can vote on my profile. If you have any questions or comments relating to this story you can PM me or leave me a review._

_There will be an epilogue up in the next few weeks. _

_And if any of you are curious I have started writing a new story, _**The Satellites of Deception**_, its a Twilight FanFic and the link to it can be found on my profile._

_External links (visuals for this story can be found on my profile): _

_Rimsky-Korsakov's __The Story of Calendar Prince:_ **http:/ www (.) youtube (.) com /watch?v=drYlv5Ocy80**

_Beethoven's moonlight sonata:_ **http:/www (. ) youtube (.) com /watch?v=vQVeaIHWWck**

_**Thank you for reading **_


	40. Important author's note

Author's note: The Sequel.

Dear readers,

I hope you're all well and are having a good summer. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who read and reviewed the final chapter in this story. I loved reading all your comments about it, and your suggestions for the sequel. To my 1500+ subscribers I thank you for choosing this story. A shout out to the bloggers at the Alternate Lambs and Sacrifical Lions site I thank you for featuring this story and interviewing me. Also to the "for the love of non-canon" twilight blogs for reviewing and featuring BTBS.

Thanks to the beta for this story, Shelia, who was kind enough to proof-read the chapters for me. And to Julie from MyVampfiction (dot) com who has been editing the older chapters for me.

Now I have been thinking about writing a sequel to this story, and many of you have supported the idea, both in the polls and in the reviews. There are many loose ends in this story: The prospect of Edward's situation with Alyssa and Horatio. What sort of a deal Bella has arranged with the Volturi, and whether or not Edward will find happiness and reconcile with Carlisle.

I have had a lot to work with in developing the plot for a sequel, which I have started writing and first chapter should be ready within the next few days. The sequel will be called:_ "Beyond The Scars Of Redemption"_ and there is a brief summary/teaser below.

_A secret promise, a forbidden journey, and a haunting desire; _

_Nobody said immortality was easy._

_After the conflicts and battles of her previous life, Isabella enters the realm of a new beginning; exploring the unknown life of immortality. But when Bella has to face the burden of a secret promise that could lead to the end of her and those whom she has loved. Bella finds herself torn between sacrificing the desire of her past and saving the Cullen clans' future._

The first chapter should be up later this week.

Once again if you have any questions or comments leave me a review or PM me.

Thank you for reading and I hope you all had good weekend.

_~December Eclipse_

PS: One of my readers emailed me a trailer for Beyond the Broken Scars. So if you're curious the link is here: http:/ www (dot) youtube (dot) com /watch?v=XaMRIF6PtT0


	41. Chapter 41: Deleted Scenes Part 1

_I had a few outtakes and deleted scenes left over from this story I thought I would post here. These are part of an alternative version of the story I've been working on with a friend on another fan fiction site. _

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**DELETED SCENE ONE: Bella's first hunt. ****This occurs after Eleazar tells Bella about the nature of her powers. There is also a scene between Carlisle and Bella that I left out of the story originally.**

Charlotte turned her red eyed gaze upon me her expression altering into half a smile. "Seeing as you won't take human blood and Aro wants to begin training you immediately, he feels that you need to be fully nourished before hand." She paused for a moment as though on the brink of dropping a revelation. "I've managed to get you permission to hunt for an hour."

She held out her hand more me to take. I hesitated and turned to look at Carlisle who was standing beside me.

"Will you come with me, please? I have no idea how to hunt."

Carlisle chuckled and took my hand in his own before saying. "I'd better show you then." He looked over at Charlotte and nodded. Charlotte took one of our hands in both of her own and she closed her eyes, concentrating for a long moment and then… whoosh.

I was in a forest deep in the heart of the Tuscan woodland, the sky was a clear midnight blue and peppered with stars. The night air was clean and crisp, laced with the scent of many warm-blooded woodland creatures. My throat burned again and I released myself from both Carlisle and Charlotte's grip, before sprinting off into the woods. The grass slithered noisily beneath my skirt, my bare feet connected with the damp soil and created an odd tinkling sensation erupt in my toes. The blood scent grew closer and closer, I could hear Carlisle following closely behind me.

I ran on and on for what felt like miles until… I saw them, a herd of deer grazing in a grass covered clearing in the forest. I crouched low on my feet, crept silently through the overgrown grass and passed thickly growing bushes littered with juicy berries. I could almost taste the warm blood on my tongue as I edged closer, fixing my eyes on the unaware pack of deer feeding under the cloak of the darkness. A twig snapped underneath my foot and a deer looked up, pricking its ears and standing motionless. I took another step closer and then I pounced, throwing myself headfirst into the flock as they scattered, hooves thundering over the ground. I wrapped my arms around one of them, knocking it to the ground before sinking my fangs into it neck, killing the animal instantly. A rush of hot blood fell into my mouth and trickled down my throat, quenching the scorching fire that had tormented me for so long. An avalanche of flavors cascaded inside my mouth, erupting the senses of my tongue. Sweet berries, the nutty fragrance of wood and aromatic flavor of leaves. I was in heaven.

I could hear the final murmurs of the animal's heart beat as I drained the last remnants of life out of its veins. I pulled away after a moment and dropped the limp carcass on the grass. The burning still lingered in my throat and I inhaled the air once again, instinctively searching for blood t. I picked up on the scent a few minutes later. I ran through the woods again, climbing up trees and throwing myself down, catching anything I could reach: a fox, three squirrels and a rabbit. After about an hour I leaned back against the trunk of a tree and threw aside the lifeless figure of the deer I had just drained. I licked my lips and sighed contentedly, finally feeling full.

"Feeling better?" Carlisle asked a few yards away from me, he was sitting amongst a clump of gorse bushes finishing off the remains of a fox. It amazed me how he had managed to keep so clean and tidy; there wasn't a single blood stain on his clothes or on his face.

"The burning never goes away, does it?" I said carefully.

Carlisle shook his head sadly. "Not entirely no," he said in a deeper voice that made his accent more prominent.

"Would you like to hunt some more?" he asked, getting to his feet and coming over towards me. There was something oddly alluring about his persona and I was unexplainably drawn to it. The sensation thrilled me to the core of my soul as he locked his eyes, that were now black pools of mystery, with my own.

"Bella?" he said in response to my silence. I parted my lips to inhale his intoxicating aroma as he knelt down in front of me.

"No, I think I've had enough for one day," I murmured, tearing my eyes away from his and looking down for a moment, willing myself to keep in control. I began toying with a loose strand of thread from my corset. My outfit was torn and stained with dirt and blood. I was now something that looked human and sounded human, but I was not. I was an immortal, a vampire condemned to an eternity of thirst and desire.

"It's hard to believe that you're so calm and collected," Carlisle said after a long pause. I raise my head slowly and tentatively, meeting his gaze with my own and feeling a jolt in the pit of my stomach. The moonlight poured in through the high tree tops and illuminated his white face in a melancholy glow.

"You thought I would be a manic newborn, chaotic and out of control."

"Most newborns usually are like that, Bella. I think you're the only one with the ability to keep in control."

"Have I changed?" I asked cautiously, fixing a serious gaze on him.

"Yes… more than I could have imagined," Carlisle said placing a hand on my cheek. He tilted his head to the side and inhaled deeply, taking in my scent. There was sympathy and longing lining his flawless features as his fingers caressed my skin.

"We can never be the same, can we?" My voice was filled with a soft preternatural resonance.

Carlisle's lips had moved in a concealed smile, his eyes had misted and closed as he ran his thumb over my bottom lip.

"I've made a mess of everything, Bella."

I swallowed back the venom and looked away, unable to stare at him any longer. I knew what was coming; Alice's reassurance to Edward that Carlisle and I were just friends, Marcus's skeptical silence and Carlisle distant mannerism towards me had signaled the fate. The reunion with his family had brought reality crashing down around him.

I waited with baited breath as the venom began to sting my eyes and my throat began to burn again.

"I granted your wish and turned into an immortal, and now I have placed you in a battlefield, not only with the Volturi and the Valhallas, but with Edward and myself. You didn't deserve this fate."

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out and all I could do was look at him with parted lips. It wasn't his fault. None of this was his fault. But it was too late.

I eased my fingers around the engagement ring, the symbol of everything I'd ever wanted and could never have, and attempted to slide it off but then…

Carlisle's eye lids snapped open and he gazed down at my hand. I paused in the midst of removing my ring and watched him, waiting for my world to be destroyed once again.

"Don't…"

"I'm giving in," I murmured softly. "I'm giving you what _you _want."

He stared at me with wide torturous eyes and I strangled a moan building up in my throat. "No," he said in an anguished tone as he seized my wrist in his hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing the ring still loosely on my finger. "You are everything that I want, Bella. I cannot…I will not exist without you."

"Just friends," I whispered slowly. "Alice said we're just friends, she had seen…"

"We have passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship, Bella." His tone was authoritive and unyielding. He slid his arms around my waist and pulled me into his chest, embracing me. "You are mine, you _shall_ be mine, and you and I will be one for ever."

"Is that a promise?" I asked in a low whisper like a kiss, taking a hold of his arms in my hands.

"Yes." He leaned down and captured my mouth with his own. I began to tremble as the electric purity rushed through every fiber of my being. Everything felt so much better as a vampire. I smiled into his lips as my tongue met his in rapturous ecstasy, being able to withstand his unwavering force. The kiss never broke as he lowered me onto the soft grass; its rich scent filling my senses. A fire was boiling through my veins and spreading to every aching inch of my body. It was taunting me to be shred his clothes to the floor and claim him on the grass_. _I felt wild and almost primitive as I pushed my hips against his and memorized the shape of our bodies through our clothes.

We only came to a stop when we heard the distinct sound of Charlotte tracing into the clearing, and she took us back to Volterra. The tourists were gone and the main corridor was partly deserted except for Eleazar and Alice. Jasper and the other members of the Cullen coven had been permitted to go hunting for an hour.

Plans and preparations were underway for the training sessions that would follow for the coming weeks.

"I've managed to let you have some more time to freshen up. Your training was suppose to start after you'd fed, but Edward and I managed to persuade Aro and the other elders to allow you a day to recover," Charlotte said as she led us down the torch lit corridor.

Eleazar made a noise resembling that of a snicker as he walked past her to the doorway. "You are foolishly confident Charlotte, Aro rarely grants favors."

"He does with me," Charlotte said confidently. "And Aro has already got Alice keeping an eye on Emil and the Valhallas."

"So what, they're coming to launch an attack on us?" Carlisle asked, tightening his arm around my waist.

"They are building up to it, so to speak," Charlotte said, shrugging.

"It is only a matter of days now," Eleazar said solemnly. "They know now that you've been turned and probably know that the Volturi have got you."

"How can you be sure?" I asked quickly. Emil hadn't seen us leave Paris and there was no sign of him around Volterra. Carlisle would have picked up on the presence of him in any case. But then a lingering though haunted my mind as I thought over my last encounter with him; the memory of Emil's voice echoed within the back of my mind.

"_I have already managed to acquire a spy within the Volturi myself."_

"Bella," Carlisle said, gently pressing his lips against my head. He must have sensed my sudden feeling of unease as the image of Emil flashed before my eyes. I swallowed and looked up at him with a small smile before slowly following Charlotte and Eleazar out of the doorway. My thoughts were racing now. Who on earth could be spying here? Who would be foolish enough to do that to Aro and be able to deceive him in such a manner? Aro could read the thought of every person here, except for me and I wasn't the spy. The question was… _who was the spy in Volterra_?

* * *

**DELETED SCENE TWO: This takes place in the Serbian Forest after Edward and Bella have a secret meeting with Emil.**

"Edward," I paused tentatively, "are you okay?" I asked, hoping he would see the underlying meaning in my question.

He nodded casually and smirked. "Of course I am, why do you ask?"

"Well, you haven't said much about… the engagement," I muttered as we both began to walk back into the dense forest again.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Bella, but I'm really not bothered by it."

I heaved a sigh of relief and relaxed somewhat as we continued to walk. Charlotte was still nowhere to be seen.

"What I mean is that, I doubt anything will come of it," Edward continued.

"What do you mean?"

He stopped abruptly and turned to face me directly, locking his darkening eyes upon me. "I understand why you went with Carlisle and why you think he's the one."

"Oh really?" I said, folding my arms and narrowing my eyes at him in accusation.

"He could satisfy you while you were human, give into to your… needs, without hurting you. I couldn't have done that."

"Our relationship isn't based on sex, Edward," I said coldly, turning on my heel and walking down the dusty pathway littered with leaves.

"I know that," he said after a few moments of silence. "But you would have done the same thing with Jasper or with Emmett if either of them were… available."  
The large trunk of an oak tree shattered into a million minute fragments as he spoke, I ducked as bit of wood went flying around us. My fists were clenched and the burn in my throat had increased to its highest intensity –I exhaled willing myself to calm down.

"Is that what you think?" My voice had reached a high octave at this point. "That I would have just settled for anyone as long as they were a vampire with enough control?"

"You didn't have any other romantic relationships after I left," Edward said shrugging. "And then Carlisle comes along, takes advantage of you and…"

"He never took advantage of me. And you want to know why I never went out with anyone else, Edward? Because I was still in love with you and nothing else matched up to what you and I had. Nothing and nobody."

"Until you decided to have an affair with Carlisle."

"My relationship with Carlisle is completely different in comparison to what we had, Edward and you know it. This cool mannerism you possess is nothing but a front – I heard you and Carlisle talking while I was in that coma. I heard everything, so don't you dare pretend that what I have with him is nothing."

Edward started towards me, his face livid and the once gold of his eyes were jet black and positively menacing. "You have nothing, Bella. The only reason why you accepted him is because he was willing to claim you, because you saw his infatuation with you as a method of getting back at me."

"The world doesn't revolve around you, Edward, despite what Emil may have told you."

Edward seized my arms and pulled me roughly to his chest, a low growl escaping his lips. "Leave him and the Valhallas out of this; they are the only honest ones around us at the moment."

I blinked several times and glared up at him furiously before wrenching myself away from his grasp. "You want honesty, Edward? Fine, First I have always had feeling for Carlisle, since the day I met him in Forks. Secondly all I ever wanted from him at MIT was friendship but he managed to rekindle the feelings I had had all those years ago. Thirdly I didn't go to Paris because of the Volturi; I went to get away from Carlisle and end the relationship."

"It didn't work though, did it?" Edward muttered furiously, brushing bits of tree branches and leaves off his shoulders.

"No, because he came and found me, Carlisle came and found me. He faked his own death and risked his life to find me."

"He was highly rewarded for his troubles I'm sure," Edward snapped, gazing at me, his black eyes full of anguish. I shot in front of him with my hand raised up to his face ready to strike when…

"You've had over forty-five minutes and if you don't hurry up Aro will get suspicious." Charlotte's voice rang loudly over the deserted forest as she emerged from behind a cluster of bushes.

Edward torn his gaze away from me and looked at Charlotte, forcing himself to smile and nod curtly.

"Is everything okay?" Charlotte asked looking between the two of us.

"Sure it is," I said looking at her and smiling slowly. Charlotte nodded cautiously before holding out her hand for each of us to take. We both did so in silence, avoiding each other's gaze; it was obvious that nothing was okay.

The odd whirlpool like sensation engulfed me again for a few moments before I found myself back in the torch lit corridor of the Volturi lair.


	42. A Special Outtake & IMPORTANT NEWS!

**_Hello everyone. I know it has been a long time since I posted anything for this story, seeing both this story and its sequel are completed and I've moved on to other projects. However, it's been almost 3 years since I first started writing this story and over 2 years since I published it, I thought I would share an outtake with you with from the very first two chapters. I didn't put it in because I though it would ruin the mystery and suspense of the story. My beta agreed with me also. Hopefully you will all enjoy it._**

**_I also have a very special announcement regarding this story! It has been nominated for 2 Hopeless Romantic Awards._**

**_Nominations began on July 1st and end on the 15th. Voting begins on July 18th and ends on the 30th. The winners will be announced August 5th._**

**_WEBSITE: http:/ hopelessromanticawards dot blogspot dot com_**

**_I must thank everyone for nominating this story it was such a wonderful surprise to see people still like it after all this time. You are truly amazing and I cannot thank you enough._**

**_Credit goes out to my fabulous beta; Miss Ellen for proofreading this for me._**

**Beyond The Broken Scars**

**Outtake**

I walked down the long empty corridor alone, late in the evening. The soles of my black converse squeaking on the polished wood floor, I hitched my black leather book bag over my shoulder and walked with a firm determination to Carlisle's office. I knew he was working late correcting papers, and I needed to see him during the quietest period of the University hours. Hardly anyone was around at this time except the janitors and they were almost only seen and not heard. It was risky seeing a Professor after his office hours were over, but I honestly had no choice. The sudden and unexpected arrival of his coven had left me in a very difficult position, my feelings and emotions were in disarray over their presence. It had taken me a year to get over them and to forget their abandoning me without even a goodbye. I had spent the better part of four years thinking that all the time we had spent together had meant nothing. I had wasted my time and energy over nothing, and the memories hurt me deeply. I genuinely began to think perhaps I was just a _pet_ to them, as James had once said; a fragile, pathetic human being, a plaything for them to entertain themselves with for a while, to pass the time. Edward certainly must have thought so, because he soon got sick of me and left along with everyone else.

And now they were back after all these years pretending to care, pretending to give a fuck about my existence, and acting like the last four years never happened. Well I wasn't going to have any of their rubbish all over again. I'd survived four years without their damn help and I sure as hell didn't need it now.

I clenched my fists and squared my shoulders as I came up to Carlisle's office door. I stood there for several minutes, knowing full well his superior senses had detected my presence probably half way down the corridor, knowing he could smell my scent as well as the scent of the black cotton fabric of my V neck t-shirt and black flared jeans. He could even smell the fragrance of the shampoo and condition I had used on my hair that very morning. I scowled at the door and look a deep breath before raising my fist to the door and knocking briskly three times.

There was a long pause, and I waited tentatively, feeling my heart beat almost painfully in my chest. The sound of footsteps approaching the door hit my ears and I took a step back, rearranging my face into what I hoped was a stern, neutral expression. The door clicked and swung wide open, and I came face to face with the Cullen Patriarch. I swallowed thickly at the sight of him, an irritating figure of perfection; his simple attire of a blue button down, black slacks and polished leather shoes. He had rolled up his sleeves to reveal the well-sculpted muscles of his arms lightly dusted with golden hair.

"Isabella, what a pleasant surprise," his velvet baritone met my ears, and I felt a cold shudder cascade down my spine. "What can I do for you?"

I tore my gaze away from his figure and looked directly into his face, feeling a warm sensation in my cheeks. _God dammit could I be any more obvious?_

"I was wondering if I could have a word."

"Of course," he smiled politely and stepped back, waving a hand and gesturing for me to step inside.

"Thanks," I said curtly, looking around the empty corridor one final time before walking in. He shut the door behind me, and walked with me to his desk, motioning me to sit down.

"How can I be of service?"

"You can tell why you're here, and please don't give me the whole _"we made a mistake and miss you" _speech because I won't buy it." I declared, dropping my bag onto the floor with a thud.

Carlisle leaned against the side of his desk and crossed his arms over his chest, gazing at me with a hint of a smile playing at his lips. "I wasn't planning on saying any such thing, Isabella."

"Alright then," I crossed my legs and rested both my hands on my knee, "so are you going to tell me."

"I thought I had already told you, in the lecture hall,"

"You gave me a phone number and told me Alice would explain everything," I said coolly. "A little presumptuous, don't you think? Thinking I would just instantly go back to following your orders after four years."

"Alice is far better at dealing with these things than I am, Bella. Please understand we haven't come back here to disrupt your life again. This won't be a repeat of Forks."

"How can I believe that, Carlisle? How can I trust you after what your family did?"

"I'm not asking you to trust us Isabella and please don't think we just swarmed back into your life with the expectation you'd automatically forgive us. What we did was unacceptable, and I wouldn't blame you if you decided never to have any association with us again."

I stared at him with my mouth hanging open, feeling slightly taken aback. I had expected him to argue that it had all been Edward's doing, and the fault was his alone. I thought Carlisle would go into some speech about how I was in grave danger and that only they could help me. He was being reasonable and responsible and genuinely remorseful.

"That's very reasonable of you," I said in a quiet voice, looking down at my hands. "But that doesn't exactly answer my question."

"I would prefer it if Alice answered it."

"Why?"

"Because it's better coming from her, she knows more than I do and it wouldn't be fair to confuse you now." Carlisle said seriously.

I nodded and leaned back in my chair, biting my bottoming lip thoughtfully. "Is there someone after me?"

Carlisle pursed his lips, and sighed heavily, "Yes."

I nodded cautiously, trying to conceal the fear that had suddenly erupted in my gut. "Is there any connection between these mysterious disappearances and deaths and these vampires being after me?"

"Yes."

"Do you know who…."

"I think you can guess," Carlisle said gravely.

"Victoria and Laurent?" I asked and Carlisle nodded once, his face grim.

"Why? What have I done to them?"

"Edward killed James, remember? Victoria wants revenge,"

"But why come after me? I didn't kill James. I'm innocent in all of this."

"You are Edward's mate, and Victoria wants to settle the score."

"I am not Edward's mate!"

"I know that, Bella, but Victoria doesn't; and she isn't going to wait around for an explanation. She wants revenge, and will stop at nothing to get it."

"So this is why you are here? To save me from a couple of nomads?"

"No, that is not the only reason, Isabella," Carlisle said, sliding off the desk and coming over to me. He knelt down in front of me and placed his cool hands in mine.

"We believe there is an even bigger problem out there; concerning not only you, but the rest of us, as well. That's why Edward isn't here; he is doing his best to calm the situation, but Isabella…I beg of you, let Alice discuss this with you. Please?"

I smiled softly and nodded, unable to resist the piercing gaze of his deep gold eyes staring almost yearningly into my own.

"Thank you Bella, I am so grateful you are allowing us to at least try and restore our once wonderful friendship." Carlisle said softly.

"You were never one to mess me around Carlisle," I shrugged and got to my feet, picking my bag up off the ground. "And in spite all these years I still cannot help but trust you."

The Cullen patriarch's smile faltered and his gaze drifted to the floor for a moment. I tilted my head to the side and watched him closely. A wave of confusion and suspicion sudden flooding into my mind. "Is there something else?"

Carlisle looked up at me sharply and nodded once. "I need to be honest with you Isabella. I cannot keep concealing things from you, especially at this critical time."

"So it's not just the nomad vampires who are after me," I declared in a voice a lot higher in pitch than my regular voice.

Carlisle shook his head sadly and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb.

"Carlisle?"

"Do you remember the conversations we use to have about the ruling coven in the vampire world?"

"The Volturi, yeah I remember they are the closest thing you guys have to royalty. They enforce the law."

"Correct, well if turns out they have discovered our past relationship with you." Carlisle murmured slowly.

I stared at him in amazement with a trickle of fear and horror building up in the pity of my stomach. "Carlisle, are the Volturi after me?"

He met my gaze with a mixture of guilt and sorrow. "Yes Isabella, they are hunting you as we speak…."

**~end**

**And that was the outtake. I hope you enjoyed it and can understand why I didn't put it in. **

**Thanks for reading. **


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